05/10/2014 21:13
Maliye Milli Piyango ANKARA wins men’s BVA Cup, claims right to join 2015 Challenge Cup
News from the Zonal Associations
Bar, Montenegro, October 5, 2014. On Sunday Turkey’s Maliye Milli Piyango ANKARA claimed the title of this year’s men’s BVA Cup. This way they also got the right to participate in the 2015 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup where they will start their campaign playing Slovakia’s Spartak MYJAVA. In the final played on Sunday at Topolica hall in Bar, Maliye Milli Piyango routed Romania’s Stiinta Explorari BAIA MARE in three sets (31-29, 25-19, 25-21) as they were paced by their Belgian opposite Bram Van den Dries who recorded 20 points. The team from Turkey’s capital follow in the footsteps of Fenerbahce Grundig that last year won the BVA Cup before marching on all the way to the final of the Challenge Cup where they beat Italy’s Andreoli LATINA.
“This was a very important match for us and we played under a lot of pressure,” said Maliye Milli Piyango mentor Josko Milenkoski. “The first set was very close and who knows what would have happened if we had lost it. I want to congratulate the team from Romania on their good performance. This was for us only the beginning of the new season where we will be busy with the national league in Turkey and now also with the Challenge Cup.”
“I want to congratulate my players because they played a great match,” commented the head coach of Stiinta Explorari BAIA MARE, Marius Botea. “Congratulations also to the team from Turkey; they were the best team in this competition and they definitely deserved this title. I would also like to thank the organisers of this tournament for their hospitality and the excellent conditions they provided here in Bar.”
Greece’s PAOK THESSALONIKI celebrated with the bronze medals after seeing off hosts Buducnost PODGORICA in three sets (25-19, 25-23, 25-15). Alexander Shafranovich paced the winners with 14 points; Hernando Gomez also finished the match in double figures with 11.
“This match was not played at the same level as we did yesterday in the semi-final with Maliye Milli Piyango,” said PAOK head coach Ioannis Kalmazidis. “We nevertheless were able to remain focused as we wanted to win a medal. We are not completely satisfied since we expected to play in the final.”
“Today we played much better than we did yesterday in our semi-final with Stiinta Explorari BAIA MARE,” commented the mentor of Buducnost, Zoran Vukcevic. “I am very satisfied especially with what we did in the first and second sets. This tournament was a great experience for us.”
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