#CLVolleyM Pool Previews – ‘Block Devils’ start title defence in highly competitive Group C

Italy’s Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA secured their first #CLVolleyM title this past May in Łódź, and the ‘Block Devils’ now return to the European stage with renewed ambition. However, Simone Giannelli and his team will have to play very competitive matches in Pool C already – where they are due to take on the reigning national champions of Germany, Czechia, and Spain. Their quest for a second European triumph will be interesting to follow – especially with the core of their team’s roster having remained essentially unchanged since last year. 

BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER) 

The multiple German champions are making their 17th appearance in the competition – they have not missed a single #CLVolleyM campaign since the 2012/2013 season. They hosted the Final Four in 2015 when they claimed the bronze medal and reached it in 2017 as well – when they had to be content with fourth place in Rome. They advanced to the quarterfinals for four years in a row between 2021 and 2024 whereas last season they surprisingly lost at the Golden Set to their domestic rivals SVG LÜNEBURG. That double header was incredibly closely contested – with 10 sets played across two matches (apart from the Golden Set), including the longest tiebreak in the competition history (52 points). 

The BR Volleys have been involved in 98 group matches before Round 4 gets underway and boast a win-loss record in the competition (across all phases) standing at 63-64, including three awarded wins. Interestingly enough, they are the team with the most come-from-behind wins achieved following a 0-2 early deficit – they emerged victorious from such fixtures as many as eight times, including six times in the group stage. 

The team from Germany’s capital have secured the last nine Bundesliga titles in a row – as well as the last three trophies at stake in the German Cup. Earlier this season, they beat SVG LÜNEBURG 3-1 to win the Liga Cup for a third straight year. Their resume also includes the CEV Cup title in 2016 – which they won in the final matches with Russia’s Gazprom Ugra SURGUT. Their outside hitter Ruben Schott was a member of that team and has returned to Berlin after spending some time abroad (Italy and Poland). Their American opposite Jake Hanes was the fourth best scorer in the #CLVolleyM last year on a tally of 201 points – and the best scorer in the group stage alone (137). When the season came to an end, Hanes had the highest number of points per set in the competition – 6.28. The BR Volleys are now coached by Joel Banks, who earlier this year helped the Netherlands reached the 8th Finals at the FIVB Men’s World Championship in the Philippines. 

Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA (ITA) 

Last year, PERUGIA crowned themselves #CLVolleyM winners for the first time in their history after edging Poland’s Aluron CMC Warta ZAWIERCIE 3-2 in the gold medal match. They had previously lost the 2017 final to Russia’s Zenit KAZAN in front of a passionate home crowd in Rome. 

The ‘Block Devils’ have an impressive record of 50 wins in their 54 #CLVolleyM group matches – a 93% success record that knows no equal. They have always progressed to the semis in their previous ninth appearances in the competition apart from the 2014/2015 season when they exited in the Playoffs 6. Last season, they won their first five matches in the 4th Round in straight sets, before suffering a 2-3 defeat against Halkbank ANKARA. That was their first-ever home defeat in the group phase.

Last year, PERUGIA finished third in the Italian Superlega after claiming second place at the end of the regular season. 

Their setter and captain Simone Giannelli was named MVP of the 2025 Champions League and Best Setter as he won his first Champions League trophy. Giannelli and middle blocker Roberto Russo won the men’s FIVB World Championship with Team Italy earlier this year too. Outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk and libero Massimo Colaci had previously won the #CLVolleyM with other teams than PERUGIA – Semeniuk with Grupa Azoty KĘDZIERZYN KOŹLE in 2021 and 2022,  and Colaci with TRENTINO BetClic in 2011. Their coach Angelo Lorenzetti finally secured last season his first #CLVolley triumph after failing at the last hurdle four times before – in 2003 with Kerakoll MODENA, with Copra PIACENZA in 2008, and with TRENTINO Itas both in 2021 and 2022. 

VK Lvi PRAHA (CZE) 

This is VK Lvi PRAHA’s second Champions League campaign after they reached the Playoff round in their debut season in 2023/2024 where they lost the Golden Set against Guaguas LAS PALMAS (8-15). They were the second Czech club to progress from the group phase, after DHL OSTRAVA had done so in 2006/2007. 

VK Lvi PRAHA had a record of three wins and three losses from their group stage matches in 2023/2024. Last season, they won both the Czech League and Cup whereas their campaign in the CEV Cup ended in the 8th Finals after a double loss (0-3, 0-3) to Poland’s Asseco Resovia RZESZOW. Coach Juan Manuel Barrial returned to the club last season and led them to their second Czech League title. He was also their coach when they won the title for the first time in 2022/2023.

Guaguas LAS PALMAS (ESP) 

This is the fourth Champions League campaign for Guaguas LAS PALMAS and the second time they have reached the group phase after 2023/2024. The Spanish champions achieved this feat after defeating Hungary’s MÁV Foxconn SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR (3-1, 3-0 in Round 1), Greece’s Olympiacos PIRAEUS (3-1, 3-0 in Round 2) and Levski SOFIA of Bulgaria (3-0, 3-0 in Round 3) in the early rounds. Their Brazilian player Francisco Wallyson Bezerra Souza (60) was their top scorer in the three early rounds.

The Spaniards have won their last seven Champions League matches, all contested in the early rounds (return leg in Round 2 in 2024/2025 and the six they have played this season so far).

Guaguas recorded three wins and three losses when they contested the group stage in 2023/2024. They were the team with the most excellent receptions (133) and the highest percentage of excellent receptions (34%) in that season’s Round 4. They sensationally reached the quarterfinals where they lost the Golden Set 7-15 versus Ziraat Bank ANKARA. They lost against the same opponents in last season’s CEV Cup Playoff round: 2-3 at home and 0-3 in Türkiye’s capital city. Last season, before moving to the CEV Cup, they were eliminated by Olympiacos PIRAEUS in Round 2 of the #CLVolleyM, making amends for that loss earlier this season. 

Guaguas have won four of the last five Spanish national league titles. The exception was a third place finish in 2021/2022. In 2023/2024, the three overall top scoring players in the Champions League all played for the Spanish team: Bezerra Souza (214), Nicolas Bruno (208) and Paolo Zonca (204). Their legendary outside hitter Osmany Juantorena has reached the Champions League Final Four (or semis) eight times with his former clubs and the Final five times. He has won three Champions League trophies: with TRENTINO BetClic in 2010 and 2011, and with Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA in 2019, when he received the award for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Super Finals as well. Their other outside hitter, Belgian Tomas Rousseaux won the 2023 CEV Cup with Valsa Group MODENA. Coach Sergio Miguel Camarero led the women’s team Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS to the Final of the 2003 CEV Cup, which they lost in straight sets to Italy’s Asystel NOVARA.