11/01/2018 08:53
Four classy matches to cap second round of #CLVolleyW group stage
2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Women
Luxembourg, January 11, 2018. The second round of action in the pool stage of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women finishes on Thursday with another four classy matches – as Fenerbahce SK ISTANBUL and rookies Developres SkyRes RZESZOW vie for their second straight victory in Pool B and A, respectively. The other fixtures provide losing teams from the opening round with an opportunity to record their first win – so there is much to look forward to as a good share of Europe’s Volleyball elite takes to the court and the race for a spot in the Playoffs slowly but surely heats up.
Volero ZÜRICH (SUI) vs. ASPTT MULHOUSE VB (FRA)
• It is the first CL game for Avital Selinger since his return to Volero ZÜRICH.
• It is also the first time these two teams face each other in the CL since January 4, 2011, when Volero prevailed 3-1 in Mulhouse.
• The two teams played a friendly game on October 12. ASPTT MULHOUSE VB won 3-1.
• It is the first time Rosir Kalderon - who returned to Volero after six years - is going to play for Volero in the Saalsporthalle since the Swiss team moved to the Saalsporthalle in 2013.
• Volero ZÜRICH have not lost their first home game in the CL since 2014.
Avital Selinger, coach of Volero ZÜRICH: “It’s fun to be back. I still have a lot to catch up to get my team and our opponents, but so far so good. There are as many as nine new players if I compare the current roster to the team that we had back when I was the coach here. It is a completely new team; they are younger and less experienced. Therefore, the situation is completely different and I have to learn how my team plays. I do not want to think about winning or losing. I want my team to play at the best level they can – and if we play at this level, we are competitive in this group.”
Laura Unternährer, player of Volero: “We are already looking forward to this first Champions League home match of the season. We feel ready for this matchup and we are sure our fans are going to create an amazing atmosphere. We lost to MULHOUSE in a friendly game in the pre-season, but it was one of our first games as a new team. Therefore, I think it is going to be a completely different game as we found together as a team in the meantime. It’s time for revenge.”
Magali Magail, coach of ASPTT MULHOUSE VB: “I think it’s going to be a really tough matchup. Both teams lost their openers and therefore they are hungry for points. Volero ZÜRICH have many strong individual players, for example Rosir Kalderon. Therefore, we have to give everything from the very beginning of the game. On the other hand, I think the quality of our serves will be determining too. We defeated Volero ZÜRICH in October, but I do not want to overrate this victory, as it was just a friendly game. In my opinion, the pressure is on Volero now. We are just very happy to play in Europe’s premier competition and are poised to give our best.”
Developres SkyRes RZESZOW (POL) vs. CSM Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU)
After a short break, Developres SkyRes return to contest the CEV Volleyball Champions League. In the upcoming match, they will play CSM Volei Alba BLAJ of Romania.
• Developres SkyRes RZESZOW made it to the pool stage of the competition after recording two 3-1 wins in their 3rd Round matches with Slovenia’s Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR.
• Developres SkyRes started their campaign in Pool A with a home victory over France’s ASPTT MULHOUSE VB. Hélène Rousseaux top scored with 24 points during that match.
• Developres SkyRes recently added Agnieszka Rabka to their roster. She is a setter, who previously played for Chemik POLICE, TRABZON Idman Ocagi and SCU EMLICHHEIM.
• Jelena Blagojević is the best receiver in the team with 62% of positive reception.
• CSM Volei Alba BLAJ won the Romanian national cup in 2017 and they are three-time Romanian national champions (2015, 2016 and 2017). The club was established in 2011.
Jelena Blagojević, team captain of Developres SkyRes: “For us it would be very important to have fun in this game. CSM Volei Alba BLAJ is a very good team, full of good players, but we will fight. We play at home and we will obviously do our best to win.”
Agnieszka Rabka, player of Developres SkyRes: “I am very excited to play in the CEV Champions League with my new team. I hope that we will be able to win at home, but I know how good the Romanian team is. Anyway, if we prepare ourselves well tactically, we will be able to fight and take some points from that match.”
Fenerbahce SK ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA)
• Fenerbahce won their first match in Pool B by recording a 3-1 victory over Agel PROSTEJOV in the Czech Republic.
• Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA, on the other hand, lost the Italian derby with Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO 1-3.
Bahar Toksoy Guidetti, player of Fenerbahce: “Our pool is extremely difficult. There are the two strongest Italian teams in our group. They have powerful squads. On the other hand, our team is ready for this game. We know each player from the team of NOVARA very well. We know them from previous experiences with our national teams. I think it will be a good game. We all know we need to use our home advantage and we need the support of our fans. We will do our best to get a good result and if our fans come to support us, they will help us achieve our goal. We have been working on a few tactical things. We keep going with our match preparations.”
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Mia Jerkov, player of Fenerbahce: “I think our pool is one of the most difficult groups in this year’s Champions League. Our two Italian competitors are the most powerful teams in their country. We can beat NOVARA if we make use of our home advantage. The game is extremely important since we want to start the New Year in the best possible way. The Champions League is an important goal for us. From the beginning of the season up until now, we have been trying to know each other and develop the right chemistry to be successful and at the end of this process, we do know each other better. We are excited for Thursday. Such games are the most enjoyable ones for all players. We invite all of our fans to Burhan Felek Sports Hall in order to support us.”
Cristina Chirichella, middle blocker of Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA: “We know that it will be a very tough game for us, against such a strong and experienced opponent. We know as well that we need to achieve a positive result, as we lost our first game with Imoco Volley and we need to score a victory in order to keep fighting for our goal. We want to secure a spot in the Playoff phase, so we need to do our best in Istanbul, being focussed on the game and trying to make as less mistakes as possible.”
Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) vs. Vizura RUMA (SRB)
• Both Maritza PLOVDIV and Vizura RUMA will be looking for their first win as well as for their first set won in Pool C.
• In the first leg, Maritza PLOVDIV lost at home to Russia’s Dinamo KAZAN, while Vizura RUMA suffered a setback, also at home, while playing Poland’s Chemik POLICE.
• The two teams have met head to head twice so far. In October 2014, Vizura beat Maritza in straight sets at the Cengiz Gollu invitational in Bursa. A year later, Vizura entertained Maritza in Belgrade for an international friendly, which resulted in a 2-1 win for the home side.
• The upcoming match is due to coincide with the official debut in professional Volleyball for 22-year-old Canadian international Shainah Joseph, who has just transferred from USA’s Florida Gators GAINESVILLE to Maritza PLOVDIV.
• Between the first two legs of the pool stage in the Champions League, Maritza triumphed with the national cup of Bulgaria.
• Both teams are the reigning champions of their countries, as well as current leaders of the standings in their domestic leagues.
Boris Halatchev, manager of Maritza PLOVDIV: “This match is very important to us and I hope that the fans from Plovdiv and the rest of Bulgaria will once again flock to the Kolodruma to support us against such a serious opponent as Serbian champions Vizura. This is our first participation in the pool stage of the Champions League and we are eager to achieve our first victory.”
Zoran Radojičić, president of Vizura RUMA: “Many would take the points against Maritza for granted, but they have to know there are no easy opponents in the Champions League. Russia’s Yenisei KRASNOYARSK felt this on their backs when they clearly underestimated Maritza, which we will not do. Still, I believe we have our chances to fight for the second place in this pool.”
How to follow the matches...
Watch them live: http://cev.laola1.tv/
Live score, statistics, reports and photos: all available on www.cev.lu
Click here for a comprehensive TV schedule.
Social Media: Follow via the official event hashtag (#CLVolleyW) with the most regular updates coming on our competition Twitter account @CEVolleyballCL
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