The Greek national volleyball team scored their third win in as many games at the European Championship in Turkey beating Slovenia 3-1 in Izmir on Sunday to finish top of their group.
Greece coach Dimitris Kazazis decided to rest most of his main players for this match against the bottom side of the group, but the Greeks who did play showed enough stamina to maintain Greece’s impeccable record in the competition.
In both first two sets the Slovenians, who had no hopes of qualifying, were on the driving seat but the Greeks always came back and took the first set 34-32 and the second 26-24.
Greece stormed into the third, leading 18-11, but a Slovenian fight-back saw them go level (18-18) through four aces by Iraklis’s new signing Mitja Gasparini and take the set 25-23.
Yet once again the Greeks upped their game and imposed themselves on the Slovenians 25-21 in the fourth set to take the match and go to the second group stage with a maximum four points.
There Greece will face Poland and two of France, Germany and Turkey, with the top two of this group of six advancing to the semifinals of the championship.
The second group stage starts on Tuesday.