Fenerbahçe disappoint Novara, Levallois celebrate historic first-ever CLVolleyW win

The final day of the 2nd leg of the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 | Women delivered high-intensity action across Europe, with two matches shaping the landscape of the competition. In Pool B, Fenerbahçe Medicana Istanbul decisively outplayed Igor Gorgonzola Novara, handing the Italian side a disappointing result. 

Meanwhile in Pool E, Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud and KS Developres Rzeszów were locked in a fierce, hard-fought battle - one ultimately won by the French side, who wrote a brand-new page in their history by securing their first-ever CLVolleyW victory.

Pool B: Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA) vs. Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR) 0-3 (23-25, 21-25, 19-25)

Pool B's heavyweight clash between the two winners from opening week - Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA and Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL - was expected to be one of the most thrilling matchups of the round. The 2019 #CLVolleyW champions returned to Europe's top tier with high aspirations, and playing in front of their home crowd, they were determined to extend their perfect record against the 2012 champions. In all four of their previous Champions League encounters (2017/2018 and 2020/2021), Novara had always come out on top.

Fenerbahçe, however, arrived fully armed. For the first time this season, they fielded Alessia Orro, Melisa Vargas, and Eda Erdem in the starting six — none of whom played in Week 1. Yet Novara showed no hesitation, opening the match with a spectacular mega rally finished by a Tatiana Tolok spike. After an initially tight exchange, the hosts began to pull away (9–5), fueled by Tolok and Lina Alsmeier (each tallied seven points in the first set). Both sides impressed with relentless effort on defense and explosive attacking, earning roars from the crowd throughout. Trailing 10–6, Fenerbahçe rallied back to 10–10 thanks to the powerful hitting of Arina Fedorovtseva (also seven points in the set). Although Novara briefly regained a three-point edge (14–11), Fenerbahçe responded again, leveling at 15–15 with a Fedorovtseva ace. From there, the set became a point-for-point battle. The breakthrough came at 19–19, when Fenerbahçe snatched three consecutive points (21–19) through an Eda Erdem block and Fedorovtseva's kills. The visitors soon earned a string of set points at 24–20, but Novara refused to yield. Britt Herbots and Alsmaier broke through triple blocks to deny three of them, pushing the tension even higher. In the end, though, Melissa Vargas, who scored seven points in the opener, finished the job, sealing the set 25–23 for Fenerbahçe.

The tight battle continued into the second set, remaining even up to 6–6. Then the visitors, who benefited from perfect reception (61% positive) moved ahead to 10–6, thanks to a combination of their own strong plays — highlighted by powerful spikes from Eda Erdem — and a few errors on Novara's side. The hosts attempted to shorten the gap through the attacking efforts of Tolok and Alsmeier (five and four points, respectively). A block by Tolok and Carlotta Cambi on Fedorovtseva brought Novara back to 13–11, but Fedorovtseva quickly struck back, delivering two consecutive aces to push Fenerbahçe to a 16–11 lead. Coach Bernardi responded by sending Mayu Ishikawa onto the court, and she made an immediate impact: scoring off her first attack and then putting pressure on Fenerbahçe with a strong service run that brought the score to 17–16. Novara's tireless efforts — narrowing the gap again to 22–21 and driven particularly by Sara Bonifacio, who went 3/3 in attack — kept the set alive, but ultimately weren't enough to stop Fenerbahçe's momentum. Vargas's powerful kills again proved decisive, fueling her team to a 25–21 win and contributing six points in the set.

Novara opened the third set with Ishikawa on the court and quickly jumped to an early 2–0 lead. Fenerbahçe, however, responded immediately. From 4–4, a combination of Vargas's powerful spikes and Fedorovtseva's heavy serves propelled the visitors to a 9–4 advantage (both again contributed with seven points apiece). Vargas then added points directly from the service line, extending the lead to 13–6. Despite the difficult situation, the hosts refused to give up. Tolok and Ishikawa once again led Novara's offense (five points each), shortening the gap to four points at 15–11. But an ace from Alessia Orro restored Fenerbahçe's lead at 18–11, and from there the guests confidently controlled the set. Ana Cristina, who entered the court in the decisive moment, closed it out with a successful spike at 25–19.

Fenerbahçe's dominance from the service line - seven aces to Novara's three - along with their block performance (8 vs 5), proved crucial in this clash, delivering the Turkish powerhouse their first-ever Champions League victory over Novara and allowing them to retain the top position in Pool B.

Melissa Vargas, the match's top scorer with 20 points, earned MVP honours. Her performance included 18 kills at 49% success, along with one block and one ace. She was closely followed by Arina Fedorovtseva, who contributed 18 points (four aces, two blocks, and 12 kills at 36%). Captain Eda Erdem added eight points, split evenly between four blocks and four kills.

For Novara, Tatiana Tolok led the team with 17 points (16 kills at 53% and one block). Lina Alsmeier chipped in 11 (10 kills and one ace), while Sara Bonifacio (7/8 in attack) and Mayu Ishikawa each added seven points.

Pool E: LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud (FRA) vs. KS Developres RZESZÓW (POL) 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 17-25, 13-25, 15-13)

Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud (FRA) wrote a brand-new page in their history, claiming their long-awaited first-ever Champions League Volley Women victory. The triumph came after a dramatic match full of momentum swings for Alessandro Orefice’s team, who stormed through the first two sets before making life difficult for themselves by allowing KS Developres Rzeszów to claw back to 2-2. In a nerve-wracking tie-break, Les Mariannes held their composure and sealed the win 15-13, sparking celebrations in France.

For Developres, the match marked a sharp contrast to their strong start to the 2026 #CLVolleyW campaign, which began with a 3-1 victory over Maritza. Levallois, meanwhile, bounced back impressively from their opening 1-3 loss to SSC Palmberg Schwerin, turning tonight’s clash into a milestone moment for the club.

In a closely contested opening set, the score swung early between the two sides. An exceptional defensive rally at 8-9 showcased the Polish team’s grit, yet Les Mariannes kept finding the right solutions and exploiting their opponents’ weak spots. “We need to go strong even on the higher balls,” urged the Developres coach Cesar Hernandez. At 17-16, Orefice called a timeout after Bannister delivered a dominant sequence both from the service line and in attack. In the final points, the French block rose to the occasion, shutting down Bannister and Julita Piasecka to create the decisive gap. The hosts ultimately claimed the set 25-22, sealed by a confident finish from Lena Kindermann.

In the second set, the hosts opened with a 4-2 lead, extended by Kindermann for 5-3, as Rzeszów struggled with a few unforced errors. Bannister quickly recovered from an early service mistake at 4-6, delivering two powerful attacks to bring her team back to 6-6, followed by an ace from Marrit Jasper that pushed Developres ahead. A five-point surge forced the French side to call a timeout at 6-9, yet they continued to fight their way back to 9-10 and again to 12-13. Developres held firm, even adding a key block for 12-14, but the turning point came when Tessa Polder stepped to the service line and shifted the momentum entirely. From there, Les Mariannes surged to 20-18 and, despite the Polish team’s resilience, the hosts closed the set 25-19, showing greater precision and renewed inspiration in the decisive moments.

Motivated and inspired, Developres seized complete control in the following set, proving they were far from ready to give up. After jumping ahead 0-2 and 3-6, Julita Piasecka delivered two key actions that helped her team secure an early lead. Developres maintained their momentum, extending the gap to 9-5 and then 6-12 as the hosts struggled to find the right answers on court. Bannister and her teammates shone brightly, operating like a well-oiled machine and dominating both the long rallies and the transition game. At 22-12, the pattern remained unchanged, with Developres dictating the rhythm from start to finish. Nothing shifted in the final moments, and the Polish side closed out the set with authority (25-17). 

Developres, led by the impactful duo of Taylor Bannister and Svitlana Dorsman, with solid support from Laura Heyrman and Julita Piasecka, took full control of the fourth set, dictating the rhythm and delivering sharp, unstoppable attacks. The Polish side surged ahead to 15-9 and, without encountering resistance, closed the set 25-13 to force a tie-break. 

But just when it seemed that Les Mariannes had lost their momentum-especially after their opponents jumped to a 4-1 lead in the decider, Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud flipped the script, battling back to an 8-7 advantage. The final points were a showcase of pure emotion and world-class volleyball: long, breathtaking rallies, precision in the smallest details, and both teams refusing to back down. At 12-12, the tension was at its peak, yet it was the hosts who showed greater clarity and composure. In the end, that focus paid off, allowing Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud to triumph in unforgettable fashion.

Statistically, KS Developres Rzeszów held the upper hand in several key areas, outperforming Levallois in attack with 60 winning spikes to 51, and dominating from the service line with nine aces to three. Les Mariannes, however, responded with one more block (11 to 10) and, crucially, committed fewer errors - 25 compared to Developres’ 30. In a match decided by razor-thin margins, those unforced errors ultimately became the difference between victory and defeat.

Captain and setter Victoria Mayer grabbed the MVP award. 

For the winners, Zuzana Šepelová led the scoring with 15 points, while Taylor Bannister topped all scorers with 23 points for Developres.