Arcada Galati secured a sensational victory in five sets, while VakifBank Istanbul triumphed confidently

Men, Pool E, Leg 5

C.S. Arcada GALATI (ROU) vs Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA)

The Italian team appeared as the absolute favorite in this encounter, arriving with 4 victories in the group and already securing leadership. However, Galati had a very experienced setter, absent during Civitanova's first game. In the first set, both teams displayed an equal battle, despite Arcada mostly catching up with their opponent. The Romanian team exuded confidence and calmness on their home turf. Towards the end, Arcada showed excellent play, demonstrating a monster block at 16-20, followed by an ace. Civitanova, though, dominated the attack in this set, holding an impressive 16-9 advantage. Their excellent attacking performance allowed them to pull away at the end, leading 1-0.

Midway through the second set, Arcada managed to take a 2-point lead, causing nervousness for Civitanova's head coach. Following the timeout for the Italians, the Romanian team once again displayed a monster block, solidifying their leadership. With excellent serving and active attacking from Aaro NIKULA, the hosts sealed the set at 1-1. Arcada also claimed the third set confidently at 25:20. In this set, NIKULA and GERGYE contributed 7 points each to their team's success.

The fourth set lacked suspense as the hosts seemed to lose momentum, only scoring 16 points. For Civitanova, NIKOLOV, LAGUMDZIJA, and BOTTOLO were the top scorers. The match entered the fifth set, where the reception and attack of the Italian team faltered. Supported by the fans, Arcada GALATI's confident serving and nearly flawless attacks led them to a sensational victory over the group leader, securing an overall score of 3-2. Consequently, the Romanian team climbed to the third position in the group, while this defeat did not affect the Italian team's standing.

Final result 3-2 (21:25, 25:23, 25:20, 16:25, 15:10)

Women, Pool A, Leg 5

Volley MULHOUSE Alsace (FRA) vs VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR)

For the tenth time since the 2000s, Vakifbank Istanbul faced Mulhouse. In this pairing, the Turkish team was the clear favorite, occupying the second position in the group with 3 victories and 1 defeat, while the French team had not yet secured any wins. 
The VMA managed to keep pace with their illustrious opponent in the 1st set, leading initially at 7-6, leveling three times (17-17, 18-18, 21-21), and remaining close (22-23). Young attacker Mija Siftar’s performance (7 kills out of 11 attempts) crowned her as the match's MVP. However, Vakifbank managed to secure the first set with 25-23, benefiting from a strong attack and counter-attack by Alexia Karatasu.

The 2nd set remained tightly contested until 16-16, after which the Turks took control. With Chiaka Ogbogu (4/4) and Jordan Thompson (4/6), they won the set (20-25). Dominant in all facets of the game, Istanbul’s team made a difference in the final stretch with five consecutive points (from 12-14 to 12-19), eventually claiming victory (17-25), led by Brazilian Gaby Guimaraes.

Final result 0-3 (22:25, 20:25, 17:25)

MVP Mija ŠIFTAR with 15 spikes