Cisneros La Laguna Falls 3-1 to Melilla in First Midweek Loss
Cisneros La Laguna suffered their first midweek home defeat of the season, losing 3-1 to Club Voleibol Melilla despite a spirited comeback attempt from a two-set deficit.
Cisneros La Laguna lost their first midweek match of the season, which was also the first of two home games for them this week. Club Voleibol Melilla played very well, taking a 2-0 lead at Ríos Tejera. Although the Tenerife team fought back, they couldn't complete the comeback, ultimately losing 3-1.
The match began with high intensity, right from the start. Cisneros took an early lead, driven by Víctor Andreu and especially an accurate Thomas Sleurink (13-9). Víctor Méndez came on for Melilla, helping them stay in the game, though they still trailed (19-15).
However, in the Men's Superliga, you have to close out sets, or things can get difficult. CV Melilla slowly caught up, getting within one point (22-21). Cisneros then had two chances to win the set but couldn't convert them. The score reached 24-all, leading to sudden death, which the visitors won 28-26.
The second set saw both teams trade points, keeping the score even past the halfway mark (15-15). Melilla then took a 17-18 lead and held onto it. They played very seriously and effectively, stopping any comeback from Cisneros to win the set 25-21.
Cisneros started the third set aggressively (6-2), dominating with their serves and building a safe lead. Whenever Federico Martina scored for Melilla, Sleurink responded for Cisneros. They steadily increased their lead, and a strong finish by Nacho Roberts helped Cisneros get back into the match by winning the set.
Starting the fourth set, the excitement at Ríos Tejera faded slightly when Miguel Rivera quickly called a timeout with Cisneros trailing 1-4. Despite this, Cisneros fought hard and, with great spirit, tied the set at 13-all. Just as the home crowd's hopes were rising, Melilla stepped up again. The visitors finished stronger, winning the set 25-19 and securing the match with a 3-1 victory.
Despite the loss, Cisneros has no time to dwell on it, as they play again this Saturday in La Laguna. At 5:00 PM, the Tenerife team will face UC3M Voleibol Leganés.