Põlva Serviti seal first place with commanding 31–24 win over ASK/MSĢ

February 22, 2026

Põlva Serviti wrapped up the Baltic Handball League regular season in style on Sunday afternoon, defeating ASK/MSĢ 31–24 away from home and officially securing first place after 10 rounds, earning automatic qualification to the Final Four.

The visitors took early control of the contest and never looked back. After an intense opening exchange, Serviti gradually imposed their rhythm, building a 16–11 lead at halftime thanks to sharp counterattacks, disciplined defense, and efficient finishing. ASK/MSĢ showed resilience and kept the match competitive through the middle stages, but Serviti’s depth and composure proved decisive in the final quarter.

Key moments

• Early momentum: After ASK/MSĢ opened the scoring, Põlva Serviti responded with a strong run, moving ahead 8–3 inside the first 12 minutes.
• First-half control: Goals from Hendrik Varul and Alfred Timmo helped Serviti stretch the gap to five goals before the break.
• ASK/MSĢ fightback: The home side cut the deficit to just one goal (16–15) midway through the second half, driven by Valdis Kalniņš and Krists Vidzis.
• Decisive finish: Serviti answered immediately, pulling away again with a series of crucial goals between the 43rd and 55th minutes to seal the win.

Top performers

For ASK/MSĢ,

• Valdis Kalniņš (#19) led all scorers with 10 goals, showing leadership throughout.
• Krists Vidzis (#13) added 6 goals, including four successful seven-meter shots.
• Justs Vidzis (#24) contributed 4 goals from the wing.

For Põlva Serviti,

• Hendrik Varul (#66) delivered an outstanding performance with 8 goals, consistently punishing defensive gaps.
• Alfred Timmo (#77) scored 6 goals, providing constant pressure from the backcourt.
• Kristofer Liedemann (#21) and Mathias Rebane (#10) added 5 goals each, with Rebane converting three of four penalties.

Match facts

• Final score: ASK/MSĢ 24 – 31 Põlva Serviti
• Halftime: 11 – 16
• Competition: Baltic Handball League
• Date: 22 February 2026

The result also marked a repeat of Serviti’s earlier dominance this season, following their 40–27 home win over ASK/MSĢ in December.

With this victory, Põlva Serviti finish the regular season in first place and advance directly to the Final Four, underlining their status as one of the main title contenders heading into the decisive phase of the season.