Luxembourg, February 29, 2020. With the Champions League 4th Round behind us and the 16 qualified teams making preparations for the final phase, it’s time to take a look back at some of the standout players from the 4th round. We asked our team of commentators and editorial writers to pick their team of the 4th round. The players who stood out with amazing performances that helped their team achieve one of the coveted spots in the quarterfinals. The criteria for the teams are less about picking the best players, but more so about who stood out as a big contributor to their team or had a unique aspect to their campaign.
Click here to find out who made the cut in our women's equivalent feature.
Jonathan Harris-Bass (Commentator)
OH: Wilfredo Leon
OH: Christian Fromm
OPP: Aleksandar Atanasijevic (pictured)
S: Przemyslaw Stepien
MB: Mateusz Bieniek
MB: Mikhail Shcherbakov
L: Jenia Grebennikov/Ivo Casas
This team possesses much of the fire power in the 4th round of the competition, along with some of the finesse that graced the courts across Europe. Once again Wilfredo Leon is setting the bar high; although not top of the scoring charts, he only played in just four of the group matches, and still amassed an amazing 86 points.
Christian Fromm has spearheaded Jastrzebski's best run in the competition since they finished 3rd in 2014. Middle Blockers come from Civitanova and Kemerovo in the shape of Bieniek and Shcherbakov, both of whom have towered over the rest, whilst some of the best skill at the net has been set in motion for Zaksa by Stepien. Atanasijevic will be hoping that he can get one better than his best previous finish in this competition in the past.
The two Liberos are Grebennikov and Casas; the former is well known of course, but Casas was one of the best receivers in the groups, and ensured that Benfica enjoyed their debut season of Champions League volleyball.
Lewie Lett (Commentator)
OH: Osmany Juantorena (pictured)
OH: Oleh Plotnytskyi
OPP: Aleksandar Atanasijevic
S: Bruno Rezende
MB: Mikhail Shcherbakov
MB: Srecko Lisinac
L: Jenia Grebennikov
I have tried to go for balance and also players who would benefit my teams in different ways, I could easily have picked Wilfredo Leon, Yoandy Leal and Robertlandy Simon (although he has spent some time on the sidelines).
Juantorena was brilliant against Trentino, Oleh Plotnytsky from Perugia was a standout for me, I first saw him play on the beach for the Ukraine in 2015 and it’s interesting to watch him rise to fame indoors alongside the likes of Wilfredo Leon.
Mikhail Shcherbakov has made the second most amount of blocks in the competion and has been consistent and was great in match one against Fakel Novy Urengoy, he would be my middle choice alongside Srecko Lisinac, I saw a lot of Trentino v Fenerbahce and he was outstanding. Jenia Grebennikov isn’t just in on reputation, stats rank him as the second best passer of the round. Bruno Rezende is running Lube like such a well-oiled machine and making life a nightmare for the opposition middle blockers, so he is in. Atanasijevic, is solid, consistent and is making life easier for Leon and Plotnytskyi at Perugia.
Clayton Lucas (Commentator)
OH: Yoandy Leal (pictured)
OH: Wilfredo Leon
OPP: Victor Poletaev
S: Luciano De Cecco
MB: Graham Vigrass
MB: David Smith
L: Jenia Grebennikov
My starting seven from round 4 is a team that could well end up playing together one day, if a club had deep enough pockets. First up is Luciano De Cecco in the setting role. The Perugia play maker and Argentine international has been letting his Perugia team mates run rampant at the net. It will be interesting to see how he gets on with Lube next season when he takes over from Bruno.
Outside hitter 1 is Lube’s Yoandy Leal. The former Cuban, now Brazilian international has been all but unstoppable this season.
Outside hitter 2 is another former Cuban, now a Polish international Wilfredo Leon of Perugia. Leon had 9 aces against Lisboa in the 4th round and will no doubt be causing more trouble for Fakel in the quarterfinals.
Middle blocker 1 is Graham Vigrass on Canada and Jastrzebski Wegiel. He was instrumental in their 3:2 win over Zenit that knocked them out of the running for this year title.
In the middle blocker 2 slot is USA national team player David Smith. Smith is raining pain on the opposition for Zaksa Kedziezyn-Kozle in Poland and is one of the greatest middle players to grace the Champions League.
The opposite position was one that has plenty of world class contenders, but it is Victor Poletaev that gets my vote. The Russian international has outclassed his shadow in the form of Maxim Mikhailov of Zenit, by helping to take Kuzbass Kemerovo to the quarter finals for the first time in the clubs history.
There is only one player to fill the starting libero slot and it’s not Erik Shoji of Fakel. My choice is Trentino Itas’s Jénia Grebennikov. The French international is arguably the best in the world in his position and his superhuman efforts helped Trentino scrape into the quarter finals.
Daniel Meneley (CEV Digital Content Coordinator)
OH: Wilfredo Leon
OH: Yaroslav Podlesnykh
OPP: Arpad Baroti
S: Lukas Kampa
MB: Srecko Lisinac (pictured)
MB: Robertlandy Simon
L: Jenia Grebennikov
The first outside hitter was an easy choice, and has been on lists like this for most of his career. That is Wilfredo Leon, an attacking ace machine that led the 4th round at 0.87 aces per set, slightly ahead of teammate Oleh Plotnytskyi in second. Unfair, I know.
Given the depth of outside hitters in this tournament, the second pick was much more difficult. Osmany Juantorena has been consistently awesome when it matters and Tomasz Fornal has been a revelation for Jastrzebski Wegiel. But with Victor Poletaev injured for most of the Champions League and Kuzbass without a true opposite, Yaroslav Podlesnykh was relied on to drive the offense and he did so efficiently and effectively, scoring 3.48 points per set on 42.28% hitting efficiency.
I could have gone with anyone from Zaksa given their 6-0 record with no lost sets, but opposite hitter Arpad Baroti proved to be their most reliable force. His play at the net is something to be reckoned with, and he is dominating important games in place of the talented but injured Lukasz Kaczmarek, a testament to how much coach Nikola Grbic trusts him.
At middle blocker, Srecko Lisinac was almost a guaranteed score when set up by Giannelli, recording only 7 errors in 77 attacking attempts. Ditto for Cuban Robertlandy Simon, who despite missing two games, swallowed opponents up at the net, averaging 0.73 blocks per set and 64.1% hitting efficiency.
The setter was also a tough pick. Ben Toniutti ran a pinpoint offense that made even average hitters look heroic, Bruno did his usual magic with the ball, and Roeselare’s Brett Walsh spun opposing middles around in circles. But the setter who got the most from their teammates was Lukas Kampa, leading Jastrzebski Wegiel to 1st place in their pool.
And the libero? It’s frustrating that every dream team essentially has to include him, but Jenia Grebennikov is such a perfect libero, it is impossible not to.
Want tickets to the Champions League Super Finals May 16th at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin to watch some of these amazing players in action? Click here for tickets