Who's who on the All-Star nominees list for the best opposite in the #CLVolleyM and #CLVolleyW
Feature
Over the last months, there was plenty of drama in the two CEV Champions League Volley competitions, for the men’s and women’s, with unexpected comebacks, huge shocks, but also with favourites confirming their potential on their way to the Final Four, which will take place in Istanbul, for the women’s competition, and in Łódź, for the men’s competition.
As the scene is currently set for the business end of the competition, the attention will move to it, but until their throw-offs, fans are invited to choose their favourites, which will then be selected to the 2024/25 CEV Champions League Volleyball All-Star Teams.
The voting has been in full fledge for a few days, but if you still haven't picked your favourites, now is the time to sit back, see what the eight candidates for each position did so far and choose accordingly. Let's start with the opposites, the ones tasked with the scoring.
CEV Champions League Volley – Men
The four sides which are in the Final Four in Łódź are all represented here and, according to the statistics, there is one player who cannot be overlooked, basically lifting his side time and time again this season.
In his maiden season at Halkbank Ankara, Czech star Marek Šotola has been unstoppable, fulfiling his potential at a fantastic rate. Time and time again, Šotola has shined for the Turkish side, scoring 206 points, the largest number for a player since the competition proper started, with an average of 4.9 points scored per set.
Jastrzębski Węgiel, the runners-up of the previous two seasons, also have one player on the list, as Łukasz Kaczmarek, one of the most experienced players in the European top competition, also making the list. An European champion in 2023, Kaczmarek played in eight matches and 30 sets, scoring exactly 100 points this season.
Another Polish player, Karol Butryn, is also on the list, helping mount a fantastic challenge for Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, in their maiden season in the European premium competition, where they reached the semi-finals. Featuring in only seven matches and 21 sets, Butryn has an average of 4.43 points per set, scoring 93 points this season.
While Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia have been one of the most consistent teams in the CEV Champions League Men this season, and are in the Final Four, much was due to the excellent performance of Tunisian star Wassim Ben Tara, who is also nominated for the All-Star team this season. Ben Tara has scored 87 points and has an average of 3.95 points this season.
One player who has seriously lit the up the competition is Olympiacos’ Aleksandar Atanasijevic. The Serbian opposite has the largest number of aces – 33, 0.63 per set – and the largest number of points, 252, with an average of 4.85 points per set, a fantastic performance, started in the qualification rounds which also spilled in the competition proper.
Jack Hanes, Berlin’s fantastic opposite, also made the cut for the nominees list, being the player with the largest number of points in the 4th round, 137, or an average of 6.52 points per set, a fantastic performance, unfortunately his side being eliminated in the play-offs by SVG Luneburg.
Luneburg’s Xander Wolf Wasenaar Ketrzynski (163 points) and Milano’s Ferre Reggers (150 points) are also nominated for the All-Star team, both scoring over four points per set this season.
CEV Champions League Volley – Women
The eight-player shortlist for the CEV Champions League Volley Women also has one of the biggest stars in the competition, who are constantly shining on the court. From Melissa Vargas to Tijana Boskovic, there are plenty of players who are usually a shoe-in for the All-Star teams of the most important competitions.
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 match.
Paola Egonu has played more sets, 26, and has 121 points scored so far, as the Italian superstar is eyeing her fourth MVP title, after the ones won in 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2022/23 seasons. The Italian opposite is once again in the Final Four, with her side, Numia Vero Volley Milano.
Another unbeaten team, Savino del Bene Scandicci, also has a powerhouse nominated, as Ekaterina Antropova had her breakout season in the CEV Champions League Women. In 19 sets played, Antropova has scored 121 points, and her average number of points scored per set, 6.37, is the best in the entire competition. She also has the largest number of aces, 15, scored so far.
VakifBank Istanbul can be considered one of the surprises of the season, after their magnificent comeback against Fenerbahce in the quarter-finals, and their top scorer, Kiera van Ryk, is also nominated. While van Ryk played more than teammate Marina Markova – seven sets more – she has scored 123 points, an excellent performance which was crucial for VakifBank.
Judging by her otherworldly standards, this season has been a step back for Tijana Boskovic, the Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul captain. The Serbian star has scored 105 points, an average of 4.77 points per set, and also made the nominees list, just like another superstar who will miss the Final Four.
Melissa Vargas, the MVP of the CEV EuroVolley Women 2023, has featured in only 17 sets for Fenerbahce this season, but has scored 92 points, for an average of 5.41 points per set, one of the best averages in the entire competition.
Alongside the five stars mentioned, the second best scorer of the season, PGE Grot Budowlani Lodz’s Terry Ruth Enweonwu (163 points), Allianz MTV Stuttgart’s Krystal Rivers (157 points) and Vasas Obuda Budapest’s Taylor Denise Bannister (131 points) are also nominated.
The 2025 CEV Champions League Volley All-Star Team voting is now open!
How it works
• There are 8 nominated players for each position, as well as head coaches: you are asked to cast three votes for each category
• For Middle Blockers and Outside hitters, the 2 players with the highest amount of votes will be selected as part of the ALL-Star Team.
• The Fan Vote will count for 50% of the final voting result, with the other 50% being represented by the votes given by Champions League clubs team captains and team Head Coaches
The 2025 CEV Champions League Volley All-Star Team voting is now open!
How it works
• There are 8 nominated players for each position, as well as head coaches: you are asked to cast three votes for each category
• For Middle Blockers and Outside hitters, the 2 players with the highest amount of votes will be selected as part of the ALL-Star Team.
• The Fan Vote will count for 50% of the final voting result, with the other 50% being represented by the votes given by Champions League clubs team captains and team Head Coaches