15/12/2020 21:00
Halkbank and AS CANNES to lock horns for spot in #CEVChallengeCupM semis
CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2021 - Men
Ankara, Turkey, December 15, 2020. Halkbank ANKARA and AS CANNES VB will be locking horns on Wednesday at Baskent Volleyball Hall with a spot in the semis of the men’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2021 at stake.
After observing a 10-day quarantine and resuming training only five days ago since all of their players and members of the coaching staff had tested positive to the novel coronavirus, Halkbank ANKARA claimed a sensational 3-1 victory (21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-21) in their 8th Final matchup with Sport LISBOA e Benfica of Portugal. The Cuban-born star player of Halkbank, Fernando Hernandez Ramos, top scored with an impressive tally of 27 points.
The match took place without any spectators and in strict compliance with the measures adopted by the Turkish authorities to curb the spread of the pandemic, which include a curfew starting at 9 pm. The matchup played on Tuesday was something to remember for Brazilian outside hitter Raphael Thiago Oliveira, who returned to Ankara wearing the shirt of Benfica some 10 years after playing for Halkbank.
At the end of the match, to celebrate their success, the players of Halkbank stroke a pose to resemble a pregnant woman – this was to share the joy of their teammate Fatih Eren Ugur and his wife, who is due to deliver a child very soon.
On Tuesday early afternoon, AS CANNES VB and SOLLENTUNA VC opened the programme of the ‘bubble tournament’ at Baskent Volleyball Hall in Ankara. The rookies from Sweden worked extremely hard to put up a fight but AS CANNES VB capitalised on their international experience to cruise to a compelling 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-18, 25-18). The team from the French Riviera looked dominant despite the absence of their Slovenian middle blocker Daniel Koncilja, who could not travel to Ankara due to last-minute problems with his passport. The match was quite special for the Swedish-born outside hitter of AS CANNES VB, Daniel Gruvaeus, who joined the action in the second set and finished the match on a personal tally of five points (click here for more info on him). Florian Lacassie top scored for AS CANNES VB with 18 points, as Peter Blomgren was the only player of SOLLENTUNA VC to finish the match in double digits (10).
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