06/11/2018 11:44
Quest for spot in #CLVolleyW group stage resumes on Wednesday in Sibiu and Lodz
2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Women
Luxembourg, November 6, 2018. The quest for a spot in the group stage of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women resumes on Wednesday with two 3rd Round fixtures. Last year’s silver medallists CSM Volei Alba BLAJ of Romania host Germany’s Allianz MTV STUTTGART while Poland’s Budowlani LODZ take on France’s ASPTT MULHOUSE VB. There is already much at stake even ahead of the return matches coming up next week with the eventual winners of these double headers qualifying for the 4th Round where they will be joining Europe’s top 18 teams. Live streaming of these matches will be available at LAOLA1.tv, make sure you follow the CEV’s social media channels for further updates under the official hashtag #CLVolleyW!
CSM Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU) vs. Allianz MTV STUTTGART (GER)
• Last year’s silver medal winners CSM Volei Alba BLAJ of Romania could go for a repeat of the 2018 gold medal match with VakifBank ISTANBUL if they edge their German opponent in the 3rd Round. The side emerging victorious from this double header will indeed move to Pool A for the 4th Round of the competition, playing there titleholders VakifBank as well as BEZIERS VB of France and Bulgaria’s Maritza PLOVDIV.
• The organisers expect many fans to flock to Transilvania Hall on Wednesday night so that the home team will enjoy the perfect ambiance to make it a step further towards reaching the pool stage of Europe’s elite club competition.
• CSM Volei Alba BLAJ have a perfect record of four wins in as many matches they have contested this season so far – two in the CEV Volleyball Champions League and another two in the Romanian national league.
Darko Zakoč, head coach of CSM Volei Alba BLAJ: “We have played four official matches since the start of the season and I think we have found our rhythm. I hope the team is more homogeneous and I would say that we have fixed the problems one could see in our previous matches. We are not yet at the top, but there is no time and we have to be ready for Wednesday’s match, especially since our first goal this season is to be playing in the pool stage of the Champions League. We know the German team, and since the Drawing of Lots back in June we knew we would be playing against them. It is a valuable team with some very good American players, but as you know me, I treat the game according to my team, not the opponent and we have to raise our level of play for Wednesday’s match.”
Nneka Onyejekwe, team captain of CSM Volei Alba BLAJ: “Wednesday’s match will be a tough one. I know that STUTTGART have a more valuable team than our previous opponent, VK UP OLOMOUC, but this will be a challenge for us and so we will see which level we can reach at this stage of the season. I am aware that the time spent together is too short and even though I think we are individually a class above them, but the performance of the team is what matters in the end and we still have to work on certain aspects. I hope that until Wednesday we can improve our game even if the tight schedule we have does not allow us so much time, but I trust my team and those who prepare it and promise only that we will fight and we will try to play a good game.”
Roosa Koskelo, libero of Allianz MTV STUTTGART: “Our opponent is a strong and pretty solid team in every aspect of the game, but we are ready to fight as a team and give everything we have.”
Renata Sandor, opposite hitter of Allianz MTV STUTTGART: “I am already happy to be here again, because when our team played Champions League last time, it was not the best moment for me since I suffered a serious injury. I am very excited to play against the best teams and we hope to go as far as we can. I believe we are prepared well enough to win tonight, but we know that it will not be easy. I am expecting a very tough game and we will give everything we have.”
Budowlani LODZ (POL) vs. ASPTT MULHOUSE VB (FRA)
• Earlier this season, Budowlani LODZ beat Polish reigning national champions Chemik POLICE to claim their second straight Super Cup title, with their opposite hitter Jovana Brakočević-Canzian awarded as MVP on the occasion.
• Budowlani have a perfect record of four wins in as many matches they have contested in the still ‘young’ 2018/2019 season this far – two from the 2nd Round of the CEV Volleyball Champions League, the Polish Super Cup and the season opener in the Polish national league on November 2 where they beat Enea PTPS PILA 3-1.
• On October 31, Budowlani hosted the very first international match at the city’s Sport Arena and beat Hungary’s five-time national champions Swietelsky BÉKÉSCSABA for the second time in as many matches.
• The winner of this double header will move to the 4th Round’s Pool C. ASPTT MULHOUSE VB are the 2017 French national champions while last season Budowlani LODZ won bronze in the Polish national league and national cup as well to take a medal from all of their domestic competitions.
• The staff of ASPTT MULHOUSE VB includes assistant coach Teresa Worek who has Polish roots. Their Ukrainian middle blocker Olga Trach played for Budowlani in the 2013/2014 season.
Jovana Brakočević-Canzian, opposite hitter of Budowlani LODZ: “It is the third round and the opponent is tough. French teams are never easy to play but we are prepared for everything and we will try to play our best Volleyball so we can make it to the group phase.”
Jaroslava Pencová, middle blocker of Budowlani LODZ: “On November 2, we started the Polish national league. We had a difficult first set in our match with PILA as much as we had a rough start in our away match in Hungary but afterwards, we start to play our game and had the match under control. There is still a lot of details we need to work on and to do better but the season has just started so we must be patient and focus on delivering our best performance at this moment against ASPTT MULHOUSE VB. We have a few days to prepare for this game and we will do our best.”
Olga Trach, middle blocker of ASPTT MULHOUSE VB: “This is a very important game and both teams understand this. Budowlani LODZ is a good and strong team, with many good players. Therefore, I am excited for our team to take on this challenge. I expect a close game. I am happy to come back to Lodz because I spent some time there earlier in my career.”
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