A little more than a week ago started the championship of the top division of the student handball League, formed this year. The team of the Volga region Academy held three matches in eight days. Our guys started with a victory over the principal rival of the KNRTU-KAI "KAI-Zilant"team.
"Academicians" became the hosts of the start round of the season, the matches of which were held on October 20 at the rowing center. "KAI-Zilant" - the real handball brand of the Republic, the team with long traditions existing since 1953 became rivals of a national team of Academy.  
Lose our team, it would be time to remember the folk wisdom about the "first pancake lump". In the Academy only this year seriously undertook the development of handball, inviting to work with a team of high level specialist, master of sports, four-time champion of Russia, two-time Vice-champion of Russia, the double owner of the Cup of Italy and Vice-champion of Italy Aleksa Popov. Fortunately, remember, wisdom was not necessary. In the thick of battle, the hosts snatched victory (22:21). Won, mainly due to perseverance and fortitude, says the coach of the team.
Before the tournament Alexey shared his expectations of the season:
-It is difficult to predict something, we had too little time to prepare. I have been training this team for only a month, but there are certainly positive changes in growth.
As admitted in the conversation of priests, to overcome the "kastov" it helped that with them before the season played two friendlies and have well studied the rival. In addition, in this match, the wards completely fulfilled the game plan, playing strictly on the defensive. The best player of this meeting, included in the top players of the tour, according to representatives Of the student handball League, was a first-year student Ramil Nigmatullin.
However, Alex Popov has chosen to mention the whole team:  
- Everyone contributed to the victory. Handball is a team game. The winner is not the player, but the team.
Alas, in the next two meetings the team lost. Kspeu team-19: 21, and the leaders, KFU-18: 20.  It is worth noting that the difference in the score in these matches is minimal. Despite the fact that, as Popov said, in the first two matches of the championship, academicians had to play without their goalkeeper. At the last line of defense played a field player.
- The guy couldn't join the team for a good reason. Yes, it is worth considering that in the compositions of both our opponents play handball - the guys who trained and played at the Junior level in sports schools. At the right moments their experience affected, scored the necessary goals. However, the KGEU, who have two of these, we lost with a difference of two goals, and the CFU, which has four - three goals. Although in the process meeting acquiesced and 5-6. In this meeting made a mistake, really joined the game for 10 minutes before the end of the match. And in the first half of acted contractionary. Our team is very young, mostly guys born in 1999-2000. And all without playing experience. So, in General, I am satisfied with the performance at the start of the season. The team adds. I am sure we will look stronger in every next match.