Holders Ezerzeme win golden set to reach Latvian Cup semi-final against Jēkabpils Lūši

Cup holders Ezerzeme/Daugavpils University/Homelike and Jēkabpils Lūši reached the semi-finals of the Latvian men's volleyball cup, sponsored by CEWOOD, on Wednesday, the Latvian Volleyball Federation said. Both Baltic League clubs won their home return legs against National League sides from Aizpute and Jelgava, and they will now meet in the semi-finals.

Daugavpils needed a golden set

The holders had lost the first leg in five sets in Aizpute a week earlier, so at home they had to win the game and then a deciding golden set. They won 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-17) and took the golden set 25-18. It was not easy: VK Aizpute led by four points in the middle of the first set before the hosts caught up late in the set.

“The road was quite difficult. We made things awkward for ourselves, and quite seriously so,” Ezerzeme head coach Rihards Puķītis said after the game. He said stability and defence gave his team control of the golden set from the start.

Vanags still without a club

Aizpute had brought in Toms Vanags, a 38-year-old Latvia international outside hitter who comes from the town and is currently without a club, for the cup quarter-final. Puķītis praised him: “He is nowhere near finished. If one player can cover half the court in serve reception, that causes the opponents a lot of problems.” Aizpute made more errors in the return leg, and the Daugavpils coaches had more material to analyse after the first game.

No drama for Jēkabpils

Jēkabpils Lūši twice came from behind to win the first leg in Jelgava in five sets, but at home they beat the Jelgava region side Evopipes 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-19). Leo Štolcs scored 12 points for the winners and Kārlis Jaundžeikars 10. Jēkabs Kristens Jurjāns was the visitors' top scorer with seven.

One place still to fill

Latvian champions Robežsardze/RSU are already in the other semi-final. Their opponents will be decided at 18:00 Riga time on Thursday at the RSU sports complex, where the RSU team host Liepāja Sports Games School. Liepāja won the first leg 3-1, so RSU must win to force a golden set. The cup finals will be played on 12 December at the Rimi Olympic Centre in Riga.

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