08/11/2018 22:00
Pre-favourites live up to expectations in CEV Cup and Challenge Cup
2019 CEV Volleyball Cup / 2019 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup
Luxembourg, November 8, 2018. The early stages of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Cup and CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup continued on Thursday night with another bunch of matches across Europe.
In the men’s CEV Cup, Norway’s FØRDE VBK stormed to a 3-0 home victory (25-23, 25-22, 25-23) in their matchup with Ukraine’s Novator KHMELNYTSKYI. The Ukrainian team could not crown with success their historic debut in the European Cups but they will be trying to make amends for this loss when hosting the return match next week. Mathias Loftesnes top scored for the Norwegian side with 15 points followed by Beach Volleyball ‘Viking’ Mathias Berntsen with 11.
In the men’s Challenge Cup, Ziraat Bankasi ANKARA of Turkey, who secured their participation only after winning the BVA Cup, needed only three sets (25-13, 25-18, 25-20) as well to beat Kosovo’s Luboteni FERIZAJ. Ziraat Bankasi are the silver medal winners from last year’s CEV Cup when they lost the final to Russia’s Belogorie BELGOROD.
Austria’s Wörther-See-Löwen KLAGENFURT lost 0-3 at home to Penzügyör BUDAPEST of Hungary (pictured above). The visitors stormed to a 25-16 win in the opening set as their block was simply too much to stand for the young Austrians. The second and third sets were much closer affairs with BUDAPEST being more effective towards the end to claim a double 25-23 win.
In the women’s Challenge Cup, Slovenia’s GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA surprised Slovakia’s Strabag BRATISLAVA to cruise to a 3-0 victory (27-25, 25-20, 25-17) away from home.
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