07/11/2017 10:45
Eight teams take to the court with ticket to CL pool stage at stake
2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Women
Luxembourg, November 7, 2017. It is Champions League time again with eight teams locking horns for the four spots still at stake to progress to the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition! VakifBank ISTANBUL are back in action after their superb 2017 campaign – which resulted in their third CL crown in seven years and will be playing Minchanka MINSK of Belarus. Last year’s silver medal winners Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO will take to the court as well in the Netherlands and two more fixtures will feature the reigning national champions of Bulgaria and Slovenia playing Russian and Polish rookies, respectively. Live streaming of all matches will be available on LAOLA1.tv; click here for a comprehensive TV schedule.
Minchanka MINSK (BLR) vs. VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR)
- Minchanka MINSK are making their second straight appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League. Last year, the Belarusian national champions progressed to the 3rd Round as well after two closely contested matches with Finland’s HPK HÄMEENLINNA. They eventually lost to Turkey’s Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL, who at the time were the reigning club world champions as well.
- Minchanka have significantly strengthened their roster since last season – with the addition of middle blocker Anzhelika Barysevich, setter Volha Palcheuskaya and outside hitter Nadzeya Smirnova. Even though these three players are making their CL debut this season, they have a wealth of experience on the international stage. Together with team captain Aksana Kavalchuk and libero Alena Fedarynchyk, they helped Belarus achieve a historic seventh place at this year’s EuroVolley in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
- The roster of Minchanka includes only Belarusian players – with the youngest one being 17-year-old Hanna Hryshkevich and the most experienced being team captain Kavalchuk.
- Minchanka won the last edition of the Belarusian national league and national cup as well.
- VakifBank claimed Turkey’s first-ever Champions League crown in 2011 and repeated that same success in 2013 and 2017. Their resume includes silver medals from the 2014 and 2016 editions and a bronze medal they won in 2015 in Szczecin, Poland.
- VakifBank are multiple winners of the Turkish national league and two-time club world champions (2013, 2017).
Viktar Hancharou, head coach of Minchanka MINSK, who previously coach the Belarusian national team as well: “The main challenge while preparing for the matchups with VakifBank is that we are struggling to find in our national league a rival, which could provide some serious opposition, let alone play at a level close to that of VakifBank. You simply cannot compare our national championship with their national league and as a result, it is difficult for us to work on the details. There is no opponent in Belarus whose block is as outstanding as VakifBank’s, for instance. These are the most demanding challenges I see ahead of the matches with the Turkish team.”
Aksana Kavalchuk, team captain of Minchanka: “Our next opponent is an extremely challenging one, since we are talking about one of the strongest teams in Europe. However, this makes it even more interesting for us to go out and fight for every ball, for every point. Our team is good enough; all the players are professionals, so every member is eager to put up an effort. However, the most important thing is that we share the same desire to fight and win!
Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) vs. Yenisei KRASNOYARSK (RUS)
- Bulgaria’s three-time champions Maritza PLOVDIV qualified for the Champions League 3rd Round for the first time by knocking out Finland’s LP SALO in a golden set.
- Russia’s 2017 bronze medallists Yenisei KRASNOYARSK start their participation directly from the 3rd Round. This will be a historic Champions League debut for them.
- One important player from each team will be absent because of injuries – Maritza’s middle blocker Milena Dimova and Yenisei’s outside hitter Victoriia Chaplina.
- Both clubs are named after the rivers that flow through their cities.
- The match will be aired live on Diema Sport HD and streamed live on LAOLA1.tv.
Nasya Dimitrova, player of Maritza PLOVDIV: “I will spend my 25th birthday training for the game and maybe I will celebrate with friends at dinner. I am feeling some pain in my knee, but I hope it will be fine. We will do our best to deliver a nice game, but most important is to win and, if possible, win in three or four sets. This will definitely be a tough match.”
Oleksandra Peretiatko, player of Yenisei KRASNOYARSK: “We are coming from the grey winter conditions in Krasnoyarsk to this sunny spring-like weather in Plovdiv, which puts us in a great mood. We have been watching our opponents on video and have analysed their game. They have some good international players, against whom we played at the European Championship in Baku. They will also have the home-court advantage and the spectators on their side, so we are getting set for a serious fight and a high-level match.”
Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) vs. Developres SkyRes RZESZOW (POL)
- Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR are the underdogs in a matchup featuring two rookies – since both these teams are making their first appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
- MARIBOR are hoping to use the home-court advantage and to stretch a winning streak encompassing as many as 10 matches this season so far.
- Iza Mlakar, the main player (a silver medallist from this year’s U23 World Championship) from the Slovenian champions will be hoping for the support of her teammates to emerge victorious in Maribor.
Lorenzo Micelli, head coach of Developres SkyRes RZESZOW: “For sure this match is not going to be an easy one. We know our opponent very well, we studied them very carefully and we know how difficult this match will be. We always respect our opponent. This is our chance, our moment to show the best side of this team. We lost our last game in the Polish national league and we need a victory to improve the atmosphere in the group. We have two important games in front of us and we know that nothing is finished on Tuesday, it will be clear on Saturday night.”
Samo Miklavc, who took over Nova KBM Branik from Bruno Najdič, who has been coaching the team for nine years: “We know who our opponent is and we respect them. However, we also know what we can do and we will look for a positive result ahead of the re-match in Poland. We are playing well at home and we will use their weak points to our advantage. We also will have the support from our fans and with maximum effort anything can happen.”
SLIEDRECHT Sport (NED) vs. Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO (ITA)
- Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO have claimed four wins in as many matches they have contested in the Italian national league this season so far. They lost to Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA the Supercup match played on November 1.
- Imoco Volley are the silver medallists from the 2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League. They hosted the Final Four tournament in Treviso and lost the gold medal match to VakifBank ISTANBUL.
- Imoco Volley will be missing USA’s Megan Easy for the remainder of the season after she suffered a serious injury. Their opposite hitter Samanta Fabris did not travel to the Netherlands either.
- SLIEDRECHT Sport are the reigning Dutch national champions. They made their successful Champions League debut in the 2nd Round where they claimed the ‘derby’ with Belgium’s Asterix Avo BEVEREN.
Daniele Santarelli, head coach of Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO: “The progression to the pool stage of the CEV Volleyball Champions League means a lot to us and as a result, we will be taking on the matches with the Dutch champions with the right focus and determination. We know our value and we will be trying to deliver a good performance in the Netherlands even though we know we will be playing an opponent full of energy and enthusiasm, especially since they will be playing at home.”
How to follow the matches...
Watch them live: http://cev.laola1.tv/
Live score, statistics, reports and photos: all available on www.cev.lu
Social Media: Follow via the official event hashtag (#CLVolleyW), with the most regular updates coming on our competition Twitter account @CEVolleyballCL
What’s next?
The eventual winners of the third-round fixtures will progress to the pool stage of the competition, with the Drawing of Lots due to take place on November 17, 2017 in Moscow.
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