Luxembourg, November 23, 2020. Not one, but two former European champions are on a collision course this week, as Round 4 of the CEV Women's Champions League takes off starting Tuesday, with the first leg of Pool E.
Defending champions Igor Gorgonzola Novara host 2014 European champions Dinamo Ak-Bars Kazan of Russia, alongside Poland's Grupa Azoty Chemik Police and the Czech Republic's VK UP Olomouc at the Pala Igor in the Piedmont city just west of Milan.
Novara won the latest Champions League to be completed, in 2019 (after last season was called off due to the pandemic), following an amazing win 3-1 over rivals Imoco Volley Conegliano in the all-Italian final at Berlin's Max-Schmeling-Halle.
But there's been a major turnover of talent in the team since then and a week ago Novara suffered a heavy defeat to Conegliano in the Italian League - though they have since rebounded and remain steadfast in second place of the domestic table.
Belgium superstar Britt Herbots, just one of the newcomers brought on this year, has been bringing in the points for Novara so far this season, alongside Italy international Caterina Bosetti.
And Novara's American setter Micha Hancock has been serving aces again like never before - 29 in 40 sets at last count, almost double that of the next best server in the Italian League.
But if they're to defend their European title, Novara need to overcome the obstacle of another, historic champion - Dinamo Kazan who won the title seven years ago and went on to cap that with the 2014 Club World Championship trophy.
Indeed, the clash between the two on Tuesday is the first Match of the Week for the season, highly anticipated across Europe as the outcome could well prove crucial in the race to make this year's Champions League quarterfinals.
"Kazan is one of the best teams in the world and we will need an amazing performance to try to win such a tough game," said Novara libero Stefania Sansonna, who is expected to return to action after a period of inactivity, alongside captain Cristina Chirichella.
Dinamo have since won the CEV Cup title in 2017 with a win in the final over Unet Yamamay Busto Arsizio in the continuing Russo-Italian rivalry.
They now travel to Novara as reigning Russian champions and leaders of the current Superleague on an 11-1 record, having lost only to Dinamo Moscow.
The 'two Samanthas' have been so far entertaining the Russian fans and feature within the top scorers so far in Russia - Mexico's Samantha Bricio, Dinamo's latest import, at no. 3 with 205 points (plus some solid contribution in reception and incredible serving) and Croatia's Samanta Fabris at no. 4 on 186.
But the Russian League and the Champions League - indeed Russian and Italian sides - are two very different beasts and it remains to be seen how the two foreigners will cope.
Sergey Sikachev, assistant coach of Dinamo-Ak Bars KAZAN: “The matches we played recently in the national league and the Russian Cup helped us prepare for the Champions League. These matches went quite well for us but now, in Italy, we will see what we are truly capable of; of course, currently, all the teams are gearing up for this tournament. This year’s format will be unusual: three games with strong opponents will be taking place in just three days. Obviously, it will not be easy. The length of the subs’ bench and the physical condition of the players will play a crucial role. We have been systematically preparing for this tournament, and everything is going well and according to plan. In the past few days, we have had time to improve our physical condition. We have worked a lot in the gym, doing many weight-lifting exercises. Moreover, we had time to work on our team chemistry. At our last game against Lipetsk, we tried to check some of our ideas for the Champions League – some things worked out, and some other things still we need to improve on.”
“The Italian and Polish teams will probably be our main rivals in the battle to advance from the group to the play-off stage,” he continues. “With the coaching staff, we have managed to watch a few of their matches. Of course, every year players move from team to team. However, for instance, as far as Novara goes, we know many of their players from last season’s matches with Busto Arsizio. In addition to that, the way teams play changes during the season: at its start, it is one thing, and in the mid-season, quite another. The main task is to reach the finish line successfully.”
“It is Champions League: all competitors there are strong! I can only say that everything depends on us. Of course, we want to win, score points, and move on to the play-off. That is why we are working hard to prepare for this tournament,” said team captain and setter Evgeniya Startseva.
Rounding up the first leg of Pool E are outsiders Chemik Police and Olomouc.
The seven-time Polish champions are not off to a great start in this year's Tauron League, languishing in 8th place of the 12-team table on a 3-4 record. They come to Novara off a four-set defeat at the hands of Grot Budowlani Lodz and will be counting on their new signups, direct from Italy, Jovana Brakocevic and Agnieszka Kakolewska of Poland, to finally step up to the plate.
Olomouc, on the other hand, are undefeated and at the top of the standings in the Czech League with a 5-0 record - their most recent success a 3-0 sweep of bottom-of-the-table Volejbal Prerov driven by opposite Katarina Pilepic. The 26-year-old Croatian opposite is currently in absolute numbers the fourth-best scorer in the League, with 91 points from 18 sets in 5 matches.
The second leg of Pool E is scheduled to be held in Szczecin in February.