Fenerbahce edge Novara in five-setter to mark 2000th #CLVolleyW match; Budowlani claim first win

The 2,000th match in #CLVolleyW history opened the fourth leg of Round 4 in the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 | Women with a thrilling five-set battle between Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL and Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA. The clash showcased top-level Volleyball, electrifying fans at Burhan Felek Voleybol Salonu in Istanbul and viewers around the world. In the end, the hosts prevailed in a dramatic tie-break, with Arina Fedorovtseva delivering three consecutive aces in the decisive moment, and helping Fenerbahce to secure their fourth win and strengthen their position atop Pool B. Later that night, PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ faced Sport LISBOA e Benfica in the second Pool B match. The Polish side bounced back from their defeat in Lisbon with an impressive performance, claiming their first win of the campaign and three important points.

Pool B: Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA) 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-12, 20-25, 15-10) 

The clash between two top-ranked Pool B teams, Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL and Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA, was even more special as it marked the 2,000th match in the history of the CEV Champions League Volley, held at Burhan Felek Voleybol Salonu in Istanbul. The teams lived up to the milestone, delivering a high-level, nail-biting five-set battle packed with spectacular rallies and dramatic turnarounds. In the end, Fenerbahce prevailed, with Arina Fedorovtseva making the decisive impact in the tie-break, though both sides showcased their finest volleyball throughout the match. 

Melissa Vargas opened the match by scoring the first attack in a Pool B clash between two top-ranked teams. Fenerbahce made a strong start, as a clever spike from Vargas and an ace by Arina Fedorovtseva put the hosts ahead 4-1. Novara answered quickly through Tatiana Tolok and Mayu Ishikawa to level the score at 4-4, and the set then developed into a close, point-by-point battle with long rallies. Fedorovtseva (4 points in the opening set) and Vargas (7) helped Fenerbahce move back in front at 12-9, but a timeout from coach Lorenzo Bernardi changed the momentum. Novara tied the score at 15-15 with a Herbots–Squarcini block on Vargas and then took control, going ahead 20-17 after an attack by Tolok. The opposite hitter was decisive in the final phase, scoring 8 points in the set on 53% efficiency, as Novara pulled away and won the opener 25-20, closed by a back-row spike from Britt Herbots, who finished the set with 5 points.

Novara looked to carry the momentum into the second set, taking an early 3-1 lead after a powerful spike from Tolok, but Fenerbahce responded immediately and, led by Vargas, levelled the score at 4-4 with her ace. From there, the teams exchanged points in another balanced game. Ishikawa put Novara ahead at 7-6 with an ace, before Fenerbahce answered through Fedorovtseva (who finished the set with 9 kills), while Tolok (8 kills) continued to lead Novara’s attack with support from Ishikawa. Novara created the first two-point gap at 13-11 with an Ishikawa–Squarcini block on Vargas, but a double substitution by coach Marcello Abbondanza helped Fenerbahce restore balance at 14-14. The set remained tight through a series of long rallies, with neither side able to pull clear, making the game even more thrilling (20-20). In the decisive stage, Eda Erdem made the difference, scoring with a block and an attack to give Fenerbahce a 22-20 edge. Alessia Orro then earned set points at 24-21, and after one was saved, Erdem closed the set 25-22 with a powerful spike. The Fenerbahce captain finished the set with five points, including three attacks and two blocks. 

The hosts were determined to take control at the start of the third set and did so with strong contributions from Eda Erdem, who scored both in attack and block to give Fenerbahce a 5-2 lead. With Vargas on the service line, the gap widened quickly to 9-3, helped by Novara’s struggles to find their rhythm. Despite the large advantage, Fenerbahce stayed focused and continued to build the lead, holding Novara at bay and extending it to 15-7 after a tip and then a winning serve from Alessia Orro. Confident and in full control, the hosts marched toward the set win being led by Erdem, who scored 6 points in the set, opening up a ten-point margin at 20-10. A winning serve from Bojana Milenkovic pushed the score to 23-11, and Fenerbahce closed the set emphatically at 25-12 following an unsuccessful attack attempt by Novara.

Novara came out strong at the start of the fourth set, quickly showing they were not ready to surrender. A block by Tolok opened the set, and with solid team play the visitors moved ahead 4-2. Britt Herbots, who finished the set with six points on an impressive 71% attacking efficiency, then took charge, scoring two consecutive attacks to extend the lead to 7-4 before adding an ace for 9-5. Tatiana Tolok continued to impress with her power (12-7), while Fenerbahce struggled to put together a scoring run to close the gap. Playing with confidence, Novara increased their advantage to 15-9 after a tip from Carlotta Cambi. Coach Marcello Abbondanza again went to a double substitution, but this time Novara were not caught off guard and remained in control at 18-11. Fenerbahce’s hopes were briefly revived with Agnieszka Korneluk at the service line, as strong attacks from Vargas and Erdem helped reduce the deficit from 21-15 to 21-19. Novara stopped the comeback attempt through Lina Alsmeier, who scored 6 points in the set and added an ace at 23-19. A smart play by Herbots earned Novara a run of set points at 24-20, and Tolok sealed the set on the first chance, closing it 25-20 with her fifth point of the set.

Two consecutive aces from Tatiana Tolok gave Novara an early 4-1 advantage in the tie-break, prompting coach Marcello Abbondanza to call an immediate timeout. The visitors maintained their three-point advantage to 6-3, despite Fenerbahce’s efforts to respond. Momentum began to shift after a spike from Arina Fedorovtseva cut the gap to 6-5, before an attack by Agnieszka Korneluk levelled the score at 7-7. An ace from Eda Erdem then put Fenerbahce in front 8-7, and the hosts extended the lead to 9-7. Novara answered through Tolok to restart a tight battle, and an ace by Ishikawa brought the score back to 10-10. After another Fenerbahce timeout, the hosts took control of the decisive moments, surging ahead to 14-10 after three consecutive aces from Fedorovtseva. A final spike from Vargas sealed the tie-break and the match at 15-10.

The MVP award went to Arina Fedorovtseva, who played a decisive role in the tie-break and finished the match with 24 points, including 20 kills at 47% success in attack, 4 aces and 52% positive reception. She was followed by Melissa Vargas with 22 points (19 kills at 46%, one block and two aces), while captain Eda Erdem added 14 points.

For Novara, Tatiana Tolok topped the scoring chart with 29 points, including 27 kills at 49% efficiency and 2 aces, but it was not enough to stop Fenerbahce. Britt Herbots contributed 14 points, and Lina Alsmeier added 11.

Pool B: PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ (POL) vs. Sport LISBOA e Benfica (POR) 3-0 (28-26, 25-13, 25-15) 

PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ claimed their first win of this edition of #CLVolleyW, taking revenge on Sport LISBOA e Benfica after a surprising defeat in their first clash. Despite a shaky start in front of their home crowd, Łódź quickly took control in the next two sets, delivering a convincing and important victory. The hosts excelled in reception and applied constant pressure with their serving, with Maja Storck and Rodica Buterez leading the charge.

The match opened with a block from Paulina Damaske and Joanna Lelonkiewicz (née Pacak) on Mayara Barcelos da Silva, giving Budowlani ŁÓDŹ an early momentum. Rodica Buterez and Maja Storck, who scored 9 and 5 points respectively in the opening set, helped the hosts build a 10-7 lead. Benfica quickly responded through team effort to reduce the gap to 10-9. Fueled by their home crowd, Łódź regained control, and with Lelonkiewicz on serve, they extended the lead to 16-12. Lisboa answered again, sparked by a serve run from Cansu Cetin, closing the gap to 16-15. Powerful spikes from Veronika Dokic (five points), Claudia Anne Dillon, and Barcelos (four points each) gave the visitors a 22-20 advantage. Under pressure, Łódź fought back, with Storck leading the attack. Dillon gave Lisboa a set point at 24-23, but Budowlani denied it with an impressive kill from Buterez. Ultimately, Alicja Grabka’s block on Holt sealed the thrilling opener 28-26.

The second set began with a 3-0 lead for Lisboa, but Łódź quickly turned the tide. A block from Lelonkiewicz on Cetin gave the hosts their first lead of the set at 5-4, which Storck extended to 9-6 with a powerful spike. The visitors tried to respond, but Budowlani continued to build confidence and control, extending the lead to 16-10. With Lelonkiewicz on serve, the gap grew further to 19-10. Łódź maintained dominance to close the set, with an ace from Rodica Buterez - who contributed 6 points in the set - setting up a series of set points at 24-12. Alicja Grabka’s tip sealed the set at 25-13.

Budowlani carried the momentum into the third set, opening 4-1 with Damaske serving. Despite several lineup changes, Benfica could not find an answer to the hosts’ excellent play. Łódź extended the lead to 11-6 and then 14-8, with playmaker Grabka distributing the ball effectively thanks to a perfect 80% positive reception. Lelonkiewicz and Storck each contributed six points, while Damaske and Buterez remained unstoppable in attack, extending the lead to 17-10 and marching toward their first win of the season. Eventually, a spike from Lelonkiewicz closed the match.

Maja Storck topped the scoring chart with 19 points (16 kills at 53% success, two aces, one block), followed by MVP Rodica Buterez, who contributed 15 points, including 12 kills at 44% efficiency, one block, two aces, and 67% positive receptions. Two more Łódź players reached double digits: Paulina Damaske with 11 points and Joanna Lelonkiewicz with 10. On Lisboa’s side, only Cansu Cetin reached double digits with 10 points, all in attack, followed by Mayara Barcelos da Silva with eight points.