Vipers seal nail-biting win against FTC

GROUP A

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) 27:26 (15:15)

• the reigning champions bounced back after their loss against CSM, sealing their seventh win in 10 matches of the season
• Vipers lost their top scorer, Marketa Jerabkova, due to an injury; She had scored seven times in the first 40 minutes to improve her overall tally this season to 72 goals
• in Jerabkova’s absence, Vipers handed the keys of the game to right back, Anna Vyakhireva, who was active on all back row positions and finished the match with seven goals
• in crunch time, goalkeeper Katrine Lunde was also superb for Vipers, as she finished the game with 12 saves for a 31.8% saving efficiency
• Vipers secured their first win against FTC since 2019, after conceding two losses and a draw, 26:26, in their previous match this season

No luck for FTC in close games

It was a nail-biting game for the reigning champions, who definitely are still struggling to find their form, especially in attack, where their efficiency dropped in this game to 48%.

However, their experience is still key and some of their players like Anna Vyakhireva and Katrine Lunde delivered excellent performances on both sides of the ball especially when it mattered the most.

FTC are still in fifth place with nine points, but their form has been picking up. This was their second one goal lost this season.