Zhang Jingyin’s overseas team won the bronze medal, Dynamo Moscow won the Victory Cup, and defeated Zenit in five games.

On October 13, the Victory Cup, the opening highlight of the new season of the Russian men's volleyball team, came to an end. In the end, the Dynamo Moscow men's volleyball team experienced five fierce games at home and narrowly defeated Zenit St. Petersburg 3-2 (24-26, 26-24, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13), marking a glorious start to the new season.

From the very beginning of the game, the atmosphere in Moscow's home court was tense, and the fans were excited. Every goal touched people's hearts. In the first game, thanks to Anton Shemishev's outstanding performance, Dynamo took the lead for a time, but Zenit quickly recovered the point difference. The game entered a stalemate mode, and the score increased staggered. In the first game, Zenit took the lead 26-24 due to multiple video challenges and penalty interference.

Dynamo launched a counterattack in the second game. Maxim Sapozhikov and Semyshev teamed up to bring the score to 20-15. However, the tenacious Zenit men's volleyball team relied on Vladislav Babkiewicz's serve to chase several points and tie the score. At the critical moment, Bogdan's precise smash helped Dynamo regain the game 26-24.

In the third game, Pavel Pankov adjusted the passing rhythm and shifted the focus from Sapozhkov to Bogdan. The latter scored consecutively. Finally, Sapozhkov made the final decision at the end of the game, and Dynamo won another victory. However, Zenit, which vowed to win its first Victory Cup, did not give up. In the fourth game, Marlon Yount stepped forward and continued to put pressure on his serve and attack, leading the team to take the lead and forcing the game to enter the deciding game.

At the beginning of the fifth game, Dynamo quickly established a 6-2 advantage with the help of Sapozhikov's strong serve and attack. However, Zenit showed amazing resilience and tied the score to 6-6 in Yount's serving round. Then the two sides alternately scored, and it was always difficult to tell the difference.

At the critical moment, Maxim Belogoltsev scored on a fast break to get the match point. Then Pankov's serve failed to score directly, but Dynamo saved the ball tenaciously in defense. Bogdan seized the opportunity and flicked the ball to the Zenit court, and the game was decided!

In the final match of the Moscow Dina men's volleyball team, three players scored in double figures. Mosapozhikov had 25 points (39 deductions, 23 hits, 2 serves), Semishev had 19 points (29 deductions, 15 hits, 2 blocks, 2 serves), and Bogdan had 15 points (26 deductions, 13 hits, 1 block, 1 serve). Two Zenit men's volleyball players reached double figures, Babkovic scored 29 points (46 deductions, 23 of 3 blocks and 3 serves), and Yount had 18 points (28 deductions, 11 of 4 blocks and 3 serves).

After the game, captain Pankov said: "Although this is a preseason game, we know that we must devote 100% because the league is about to start. Today's victory comes from true teamwork, especially on defense. We withstood the pressure. They showed momentum."

In addition, there were also many highlights in the battle for third place. Belgorod, joined by the Chinese men's volleyball team Zhang Jingyin, played more comprehensively and finally defeated Zenit Kazan 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16) and won the bronze medal.

In this game, two Belgorod players reached double figures, Khachidadi had 21 points (17 of 30 deductions, 2 blocks and 2 serves), and Yakovlev had 17 points (15 deductions, 11 of 6 blocks). Zenit men's volleyball team had three players in double figures: Labinski had 19 points (17 of 33 deductions and 2 blocks), Lubrich had 19 points (19 of 31 deductions), and Sulmachevski had 13 points (22 deductions of 11 and 2 blocks).

As the Victory Cup comes to an end, the Russian Men’s Volleyball Super League 2025-2026 season is about to officially begin. Whether Dynamo Moscow can continue its glory and what wonderful performance Belgorod, joined by Zhang Jingyin, will perform in the new season, is worth looking forward to.

Mini-game recommendations:Bouncy Egg