23/11/2013 08:55
PROSTEJOV and SCHWERINER SC vie for their first points in Pool D
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Prostejov, Czech Republic, November 23, 2013. As the teams from Istanbul and Cannes look too strong, Agel PROSTEJOV does not have big chances to advance to the Playoffs in the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. Anyway, there is still a lot at stake for the Czechs. The objective now is to make it as third-ranked team out of Pool D and to go directly to the Challenge Round of the CEV Volleyball Cup, that means PROSTEJOV has to show its very best in the two upcoming matches against Germany’s SCHWERINER SC. The first match is scheduled for Tuesday, November 26 at 6.00 p.m. at DDM Sports Centre in Prostejov.
The defending champions of the UNIQA Extraliga and of the Bundesliga were not strong enough to claim a single set in their first matches of Europe's finest club competition against Eczacibasi and RC CANNES. That means both the Czechs and the Germans have very similar strengths on paper and they have the same starting position. The first match for the third place in Pool D between Agel and SCHWERINER SC will be held on the home ground of the Czech champions, which might be a certain advantage for PROSTEJOV, if they win, of course.
"The decisive thing will be our performance at the moment, and the performance of the opponents, of course. With all respect to SCHWERINER SC, for us it is definitely the easiest team in our Pool, and if we do a good job, we can score a win. And we definitely cannot say this about Eczacibasi or RC CANNES because these two teams are at a different level if you look at their star-studded rosters. Now there is finally a battle which we can realistically claim. And I strongly believe that we will succeed," says PROSTEJOV head coach Miroslav Čada.
The team is atop of the standings in the Czech UNIQA Extraliga, while SCHWERINER SC is fifth in the Bundesliga at the moment. "This could give us a hint about the winner, but, on the other hand, the German Bundesliga is much stronger than the Czech league, which is something that must be taken into consideration. The truth will be finally revealed on the court,” adds Cada.
The audience might represent an interesting factor. “I think that to reach a good result, now it is more important than ever to have some moral support from the audience that is able to create a good atmosphere for our ladies. Therefore we invite all our fans to come to see us on November 26 at DDM Sports Centre and to cheer on us as much as possible,” says Petr Chytil, the Chairman of the Management Board of Agel PROSTEJOV.
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