Final draft of the #CLVolleyW Fantasy Game sees stars selected

The business end of the CEV Champions League Women is scheduled this week, so the winners of the competition, as well as the winner of the CEV Champions League Women Fantasy, will be crowned.

The first-of-its-kind experience for CEV, gave fans the opportunity to become the coach of their own team across the men’s and women’s European premium competitions. Contestants can pick a team of twelve players with specific assigned positions inside a dedicated team budget of 100 million euros.

Haven’t you already signed in and chosen your team? Don’t worry, we got you covered. 

So, the rules are quite simple and can be found here. To start, you must select a squad of 12 players with an initial budget of 100 million fantasy euros. The initial squad selection must consist of: three outside hitters, three middle blockers, two setters, two liberos and two opposites. You must select 7 players from your squad of 12 players to form your starting roster for each game week.

With only four teams left standing in the competition and everything to play for, we have suggested our starting seven for the Final Four, where heavy hitters are in place.

KEY PLAYERS 

Isabelle Haak (€14m): This position is full of options, but we went for the player who had a fantastic consistency and is surrounded by arguably the best crew in the competition. A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano are unbeaten this season in the European premium competition and their star, Isabelle Haak, twice the CEV Champions League Women scorer and the MVP of the competition in the 2023/24 season, is also nominated. Haak has scored 108 points in only 19 sets played, for an average of 5.68 points per set. The Swedish player has two Champions League titles under her belt and aims for her third now.

Alessia Orro (€7m): The best setter at the CEV EuroVolley 2021 and the best setter at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was crucial for her Numia Vero Volley Milano's success, ranking third in the standings for the top efficiency this season, with a 45.83% efficiency. But, on the other hand, Orro, has been by far the top setter in the Fantasy game. She scored 336 points so far this season, a whopping 180 more than any other player, so she cannot be overlooked on this position.

Ana Carolina da Silva (€11m): Another player who has been worth her weight in gold this season is Brazilian star Ana Carolina Da Silva, who has been truly impressive for Savino Del Bene Scandicci, in the best season for the Italian side so far in the European premium competition, where they are still unbeaten. Da Silva registered 21 kill blocks in 17 sets, as her average of 1.24 blocks per set leads the competition. In the Fantasy Game, da Silva has 234 points, the third largest number of points secured by any player in her position.

KEY DIFFERENTIAL

Marina Markova (€8.5m): 24-year-old Marina Markova had a statement season in the CEV Champions League Women this season for VakifBank Istanbul, proving that the Turkish side did a fantastic job when they signed her from Igor Gorgonzola Novara last summer. Markova is the eighth top scorer this season, with 123 points, one less than her teammate, Kiera van Ryk, having played seven sets less than van Ryk. In fact, with an average of 5.86 points per set, Markova is only behind Ekaterina Antropova this season in terms of points scored per set. In the Fantasy Game, Markova has been the top player, with 443 points, and playing in Istanbul could help VakifBank produce some shocks in this Final Four.