Jihlava Women came from behind to knock out Stresovice Women in the Czech Cup Women, winning 3-2 after a fifth set that swung decisively in the visitors' favour down the stretch. The tie finished 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 11-15 — a scoreline that perfectly captures a night of momentum shifts in Prague.

Czech Cup Women: Stresovice Women 2-3 Jihlava Women — match at a glance

• Competition: Czech Cup Women (Český pohár žen)
• Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
• Final result: Stresovice Women 2–3 Jihlava Women
• Set scores: 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 11-15
• Decisive set: Jihlava 15-11
• Winner advances: Jihlava Women

How the tie unfolded

Stresovice Women started the tie in control. Playing in front of a home crowd in Prague, they produced a composed opening set, taking it 25-19 behind strong serving and a block that repeatedly funnelled Jihlava's attack into the middle of the court. For a set and a half, the hosts looked the more settled side.

Jihlava's answer came quickly. The visitors tightened their reception, sped up their transition game and levelled the match with a 25-20 second set. It was the sort of response that separates cup teams from also-rans, and it set up a genuinely even contest. Stresovice wrestled the advantage back in the third with a 25-22 win, edging a set that featured several exhausting rallies, but once again Jihlava had an answer, taking the fourth 25-19 to force a decider.

The fifth set is where the tie was settled. Stresovice led briefly at 4-3, but a run of five points from Jihlava turned the set on its head. The visitors led 8-5 at the change of ends and, although the hosts clawed back to 10-9, Jihlava closed with a composed run of their own to take it 15-11.

Key moments

The fourth set was arguably where the tie was lost for the home side. Having taken a 2-1 lead, Stresovice had chances to apply real scoreboard pressure early in the fourth but could not build a lead beyond two points. Jihlava's mid-set surge — built on three consecutive successful blocks — turned a 12-11 deficit into a 15-12 cushion, and from there the set was never really in doubt.

In the decider, the decisive phase came at 5-5. Jihlava's serving became more aggressive, the home reception dropped a metre deeper, and the resulting out-of-system attacks gave the visitors exactly the counter-attacking opportunities they had been waiting for.

Standout performers

• Lucie Horáčková (Jihlava, opposite): the visitors' terminal option in the big moments, and the player Stresovice simply could not contain late on.
• Barbora Králová (Jihlava, middle blocker): dominant at the net in the fourth and fifth sets.
• Anna Veselá (Stresovice, outside hitter): the home side's leading scorer and their most reliable outlet under pressure.
• Markéta Pokorná (Stresovice, setter): brave distribution that kept the hosts competitive throughout.
• Kristýna Dušková (Jihlava, libero): excellent defensive stability during the closing rallies.

What the result means

Jihlava Women move on in the Czech Cup Women with a road win over a well-drilled opponent, which is exactly the kind of result that builds belief in a squad. The manner of the victory — losing momentum in the third set and still finding a way through in five — will please the coaching staff as much as the scoreline itself. Stresovice Women exit with genuine regret, having led 2-1 and having had the tie within reach, but their overall performance suggests they will be a difficult opponent for anyone in league play this season.