Following the matches of the second-to-last, 13th round of the EPCG Super League, it has been determined that Budva finished the league phase with an impeccable record, allowing the volleyball players of Budućnost to bypass the play-in round as the second-place team, expectedly joined by Mornar, Jedinstvo, Sutjeska, and Galeb.

Budva secured first place without losing a single set, while Budućnost and Mornar validated their roles as favorites in front of their supporters.

Mornar achieved a significant victory in SC “Topolica” in their quest for third place in the overall rankings, aiming for a more favorable opponent in the play-in round. They triumphed against Sutjeska, a potential playoff rival, with a score of 3:0 (25:16, 25:22, 25:15), marking their seventh win of the season, while Sutjeska, facing their seventh defeat, is certain to finish fifth in the championship with one round remaining.

During the opening match of the round, Mornar’s top scorers shone brightly – Lazar Cimbaljević netted 18 points, and Stefan Radević added 16. For Sutjeska, Dragan Stojanović led with nine points, followed by Stevan Crnogorac with seven. Mornar’s final match of the league phase will take place on Wednesday, February 19, against Jedinstvo in Bijelo Polje, as the final matchup will determine third place and possibly avoid a semifinal clash with Budva. Jedinstvo had a bye in the 13th round.

An important match for their ranking was held by Budućnost, which secured a 3:0 (25:12, 25:17, 25:13) victory against Lovćen in the sports hall of the Medical School. Budva remains the only team to have defeated Dejan Radić’s squad this season, allowing the coach to field younger talent against the last-placed team. Seventeen-year-old Kosta Poleksić stood out with 11 points, along with young middle blocker Adnan Silajdžić, while for Lovćen, Žarko Radunović and Branko Stanojević managed four points each. Despite losing every set this season, Lovćen aims to change their fortunes against Galeb on Wednesday, yet they will finish last in the standings, as Galeb, after winning their initial duel against Lovćen, claimed two additional sets, making them unreachable in last place heading into the play-in.

Galeb faced the dominant champions in the closing bout of the round and were unable to pose any challenges. In SC “Topolica,” Budva celebrated its 12th victory, achieving its 36th consecutive set win, thus concluding the league stage. After 50 minutes of action, the match ended at 3:0 (25:11, 25:11, 25:18), with Vasilije Milenković excelling for Budva with 15 points, and Vuk Stanojević also reaching double figures with 11 points. For Galeb, Vasilije Božović contributed six points, while Budva recorded 27 errors.

In two days, Lovćen will host Galeb (from 14:00 to 18:00), while Sutjeska will take on Budućnost (at 18:00). Seven days later, the SC “Nikoljac” will hold a derby between Jedinstvo and Mornar. Budva and Budućnost will await their adversaries in the playoff semifinals, which will feature the third-placed team against Galeb and the fourth-placed team facing Sutjeska.

Apart from the 14th round of the EPCG Super League, the men’s senior teams will compete in the semifinals of the Montenegrin Cup this weekend, with Budva facing Galeb and Jedinstvo meeting Budućnost.

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