Maccabi Tel Aviv Loses Israeli Volleyball Classic in Five-Set Thriller
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Mate Asher defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2 in a thrilling five-set match, the first Israeli volleyball "Clásico" of the 2026/27 season. The champions came back from a 2-1 set deficit to secure the win at Ne'eman Hall. Rodriguez led Mate Asher with 27 points, while Santos scored 20 for Maccabi Tel Aviv. The match featured significant momentum shifts and strong individual performances from both teams.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Mate Asher defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2 in the Israeli volleyball "Clásico" on Sunday.
- Mate Asher rallied from a 2-1 set deficit to win the decisive fifth set.
- Rodriguez scored 27 points for the winning Mate Asher team.
- Santos contributed 20 points for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv announced the signing of Brazilian receiver Leonardo Nascimento before the match.
Hapoel Mate Asher secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the first Israeli volleyball "Clásico" of the 2026/27 season. Playing in front of hundreds of fans at the Ne'eman Hall, the reigning champions came back from a 2-1 set deficit to win the decisive fifth set.
Maccabi Tel Aviv initially took the lead in the match, winning the second and third sets after Mate Asher had taken the first. However, Mate Asher responded by winning the fourth set to force a decider. In the fifth set, Mate Asher established an early lead, extending it to 10-6 and ultimately clinching the match.
Rodriguez was the top scorer for Mate Asher with 27 points, supported by Bendro with 25. For Maccabi Tel Aviv, Santos scored 20 points and Bachekela added 14.
Prior to the game, Maccabi Tel Aviv announced the signing of Brazilian receiver Leonardo Nascimento, known as "Leoziño," joining fellow newcomers Danilo Galinski and Renato Santos. Mate Asher's coach, Noam Katz, described the game as a "classic" with many momentum swings, expressing satisfaction with his team's character and anticipating further improvement from both sides throughout the season. Maccabi Tel Aviv's coach, Gal Galili, called a timeout in the first set that helped his team rally.
Mentioned
