Sopot, Poland, February 7, 2016. This coming Wednesday, February 10 the iconic Ergo Arena will be hosting the first match of the Playoffs 12 between PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT and Nordmeccanica PIACENZA on schedule for the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. Both teams finished in second place in their respective pools at the end of the League Round, which makes that fight for a spot among the top six in Europe a very fierce, close and entertaining one.
The Atomic Girls cannot complain about not having the right preparation time ahead of this very important stage of the Champions League. Before the matchup against Nordmeccanica, Micelli’s team challenged in their national league a couple of tough rivals, who have also competed in the 2016 edition of Europe’s premier competition, Impel WROCLAW and Chemik POLICE. The first opponent was swept aside by PGE Atom in straight sets, but the second one was not that easy and after a fabulous five-set-long match the visitors of Chemik POLICE were the ones who left the court with an important victory.
“We lost the match with Chemik POLICE, but it is important for us that we finally matched their level of playing. During this season, we have played them several times. If I recall the first match we played in October in Poland’s SuperCup, our levels were completely different: it was like Volleyball from two different, distant planets, so to speak. We honestly have to admit it. As for the second match we played away, we had improved a little bit and now we showed off our skills and performed at an even higher level, so we got really close to winning this one. We are definitely happy with that,” said after the match against Poland’s national league leaders Maja Tokarska, middle blocker of PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT.
The Polish vice-champions, who currently sit in second place in their national league, had all reasons to be tired after the tie-break game against POLICE and this fatigue was still to be perceived on Saturday during their last game against Tauron MKS DABROWA GORNICZA. Luckily, PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT finally managed to edge their opponents – the third-ranked team right now in the Polish national league – after another five sets.
As for Nordmeccanica PIACENZA, the team coached by Marco Gaspari are also in second place in the standing of the Italian national league behind Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO although both teams have the same number of points. Additionally, Nordmeccanica PIACENZA have won all of their matches for the past two months with their last setback dating to December 13, when they lost the clash with Pomì CASALMAGGIORE (1-3). Since then, the Italian team have triumphed seven consecutive times in their national championship. Furthermore, both Nordmeccanica’s middle-blockers - Yvon Belien and Christina Bauer - as well as their setter - Maja Ognjenovic - are among the best players in their respective position in Italy’s highly competitive Serie A1.
“Well, we do not have major stars in our roster, but neither Nordmeccanica has. It’s just a well composed team. However, the fact that we do not have the stars doesn’t mean that we are weak teams - just each of us must give her maximum to make the whole group function well. Nordmeccanica will certainly be a difficult opponent for us, because in this elite top 12 there are no weak teams. However, I feel that we have a great chance of reaching the next round of the Playoffs,” added Maret Balkestein-Grothues, the Dutch-born outside spiker PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT.
The impressive resumes boasted by the players on the Italian side definitely should not cause any complexes or fears among the Atomic Girls. Almost all the players from the basic line-up of PGE Atom Trefl are in fact placing really high in their respective categories - Katarzyna Zaroslinska and Maret Balkestein-Grothues are among the best spikers and scorers of the competition, Danica Radenkovic is one of the best setters, and the same applies to middle blocker Maja Tokarska and libero Agata Durajczyk. The Atomic Girls are also a force to be reckoned with from the service line thanks to Klaudia Kaczorowska and the aforementioned Tokarska.