Luxembourg, December 20, 2019.  An exciting week of 61 matches in the CEV Volleyball Cup 2020 and the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2020 for both genders came to a completion late on Thursday, producing a number of surprising results and several golden set resolutions to shape up the eighthfinal match-ups in the four European Cup competitions.

CEV Cup - Men

In the men’s CEV Cup, after a four-set loss at home to Greece’s PAOK THESSALONIKI in the first leg, Ukraine’s Barkom-Kazhany LVIV achieved a real feat in the away game, hammering out a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-23) win to reach a golden set, which they also won, by 16-14, to qualify for the last 16. Yuriy Tomyn was the big hero for Barkom-Kazhany as he piled up as many as 25 points in Thursday’s four sets. Germany’s Hypo Tirol AlpenVolleys HACHING are the next opponent for the Ukrainian side.

Germany’s United Volleys FRANKFURT made up for their five-set loss at home to Shakhtior SOLIGORSK in the first leg and mastered a 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21) victory in the away match in Belarus, with 23 points each from Milija Mrdak and Floris van Rekom, to set up an eighthfinal encounter with Turkey’s Arkas IZMIR.

In a similar scenario, Czechia’s VK OSTRAVA delivered a 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-19) shutout of their Austrian hosts SK Zadruga AICH/DOB and advanced, despite the tie-breaker loss at home last week. However, in the next round they face a much tougher opponent, Italy’s Leo Shoes MODENA.

Martin Atanasov hammered 17 points to help France’s CHAUMONT VB 52 on the way to an emphatic 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-20) home victory over Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK which prompted a golden set. However, the Russian visitors (Lokomotiv’s Sergey Savin pictured above) put their act together to win the decider by 15-12 and progress to an eighthfinal match-up with the Netherlands’ Draisma Dynamo APELDOORN.

This same story unfolded in the series between Dukla LIBEREC and Galatasaray HDI ISTANBUL as well. The Czech team rebounded from the four-set away loss in the first leg with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-16) straight-setter at home in the second, but the Turkish side took the golden set by 15-11 and moved up to a meeting with Romania’s C.S. Municipal Arcada GALATI in the eighthfinals.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Mladost BRCKO followed a somewhat similar path to the last 16. After allowing a straight-set home defeat by 0-3 (21-25, 23-25, 16-25) at the hands of Switzerland’s LAUSANNE UC, the team from Brcko recovered for the golden set and with Jovan Delic leading the way they emerged with a 15-13 win. In the next round, Mladost will challenge France’s GFC AJACCIO.

CEV Cup - Women

ASPTT MULHOUSE and Developres SkyRes RZESZÓW played another dramatic five-setter in the return game in France. This time ASPTT emerged with a 3-2 (24-26, 22-25, 25-23, 25-13, 15-12) victory mounting a furious comeback from two sets down, with a fantastic 30 points, including six aces, from Laetitia Moma Bassoko. A golden set was in order and the Polish visitors snatched a 15-13 win to celebrate with a ticket to the eighthfinals, where they will face another strong opponent, Italy’s Unet e-work BUSTO ARSIZIO.

In another high-level encounter, the other Polish representative in the women’s CEV Cup, Grupa Azoty Chemik POLICE, produced one more upset of Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray HDI ISTANBUL, this time in a 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 15-12) five-setter played at the Burhan Felek by the Bosporus. In the next round, Chemik will be challenged by Spain’s Sanaya Libby’s LA LAGUNA.

An extended tie-breaker decided the second game between Hungary’s Fatum NYIREGYHAZA and Romania’s CSM TARGOVISTE. Fatum triumphed with a second five-set win in the series - 3-2 (14-25, 25-18, 25-14, 18-25, 16-14) - and will lock horns with Croatia’s Mladost ZAGREB for a spot in the quarterfinals.

A golden set was played in Switzerland where, with Kyra Ciara Holt (31 points) and Tiata Scambray (28 points) on fire, Vitéos NEUCHATEL UC managed a 3-1 (28-26, 23-25, 25-19, 27-25) victory over Minchanka MINSK, only to allow the Belarusians through to the eighthfinals on a 15-13 success in the decider. In the next round, Minchanka will meet ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRČKO who mastered a 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-21) home win over compatriots UOK Banjaluka Voley BANJA LUKA after losing the first game of the all-Bosnian clash in five sets.

Finland’s HÄMEENLINNA also recovered from a five-set away loss in the first leg against Czechia’s VK Selmy BRNO with a straight-set 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 26-24) win at home to go up against Germany’s SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN in the eighthfinals.

Asterix Avo BEVEREN had won the home game with VK PROSTEJOV in five sets, but having lost the first two sets in the away game in Czechia, the Belgians were with their backs against the wall. However they found the strength to recover and win the next three sets on the way to another five-set victory – 3-2 (17-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-11) – and an all-Belgian duel with Hermes Volley OOSTENDE in the next round.
 
Challenge Cup - Men

Mladost Ribola KAŠTELA lost the first game at Estonia’s PÄRNU VK by 1-3 and were down one set in the return match at home, but then went on a four-set winning run, which led them to a 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-21) victory, a dramatic 17-15 golden set win and a spot in the men’s Challenge Cup eighthfinals, where the Croatian side will have to stand up to Italy’s Allianz Powervolley MILANO.

SC Portugal LISBOA had also lost their away game at Slovenia’s Calcit Volley KAMNIK in four sets in the first leg, but in the return match at home in Lisbon left no doubts over their superiority, cruising to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22) win, followed by a 15-8 golden set. Next, the Portuguese squad will measure up against Czechia’s KLADNO Volejbal cz.

In two of the Challenge Cup sixteenthfinal series, the teams that lost the first-leg games away in five sets, took straight-set revenge at home in the second leg to progress to the eighthfinal. These were Romania’s ACS Volei Municipal ZALAU who delivered a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19) shutout of Denmark’s GENTOFTE Volley, and Slovakia’s VKP SPU NITRA who hammered out a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-14) high-speeder against Montenegro’s Buducnost PODGORICA. In the eighthfinals, the teams from Zalau and Nitra will face Czechia’s VK ČEZ KARLOVARSKO and France’s RENNES Volley 35, respectively.

 
Challenge Cup - Women

Beylikduzu Voleybol ISTANBUL powered through their second-leg home game with Slavia EU BRATISLAVA to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-23) straight-setter to prompt a golden set, after having lost in straight sets in Slovakia. The Turkish side nailed it at 15-8 to set up an eighthfinal encounter with Austria’s Askö LINZ-STEG.

PVK Olymp PRAHA lost the first set of their home match with Calcit Volley KAMNIK, but won the next three towards a 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-20) victory in Czechia. They had lost the first game in Slovenia in four sets, so a golden set was in order. Calcit recovered for the decider to win it 15-11 and progress to the last 16, where Hungary’s BEKESCSABAI Röplabda SE will be their next opponent.

Another Hungarian team, UTE BUDAPEST, gave Yenisei KRASNOYARSK quite a scare by winning the first two sets of the return game in Russia. The home team, however, bounced back to claim a 3-2 (25-27, 16-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-5) win on seven stuff blocks by Tatiana Kulikova and gain a safe passage through to the eighthfinals, where a tough opponent, Greece’s Olympiacos PIRAEUS, is awaiting them.


In the two women’s competitions, the first leg of the eighthfinals is scheduled from January 21 through 23 and the second leg – from February 4 through 6. On the men’s side, the first eighthfinal matches should take place on January 28, 29 or 30 and the second – on February 11, 12 or 13.