Guaguas prevail in five, ACH Volley celebrate first win, Bogdanka stay perfect
Recap
Round 3 of the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 – Men offered a compelling spread of outcomes across three pools. Guaguas LAS PALMAS delighted the Gran Canaria Arena crowd by edging VK Lvi PRAHA in a gripping five-set contest in Pool C, while ACH Volley LJUBLJANA claimed their first victory of the group stage with a straight-sets success against TOURS VB in Pool A. In Pool B, Bogdanka LUK LUBLIN continued their impressive momentum, extending their unbeaten run with a convincing away win over Galatasaray HDI ISTANBUL.
Pool A - ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) vs TOURS VB (FRA) 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-22)
In front of a packed and vibrant iconic Tivoli Hall, ACH Volley Ljubljana claimed their first victory in Pool A of the 2026 CEV Champions League, defeating Tours VB in straight sets. In the duel of two coaches named Igor, it was Igor Kolaković who emerged victorious, while Igor Juričić and Tours VB remain winless. It was also ACH Volley’s first-ever win against the French side after six previous defeats.
The opening set saw a balanced battle, with Tours holding a slight early advantage. Michael Marshman blocked Tonček Štern for a 6-4 lead, and after an attacking error by the hosts, Tours went up 8-5. However, strong serving from Tine Urnaut and sharp attacking by Štern turned the tide, giving ACH Volley a 9-8 lead. The hosts first went two points clear at 13-11, but Tours responded through Isaac Helsing to level at 14-14, before taking the lead at 15-14 thanks to a fine attack by Nik Mujanović. ACH Volley answered with a 3-0 run to go ahead 17-15, only for Tours to reply in the same fashion. The teams continued trading points until the final moments, when ACH Volley converted their second set point to seal the opener 26-24.
Štern led ACH Volley in the first set with eight points (73% attack efficiency), while Mujanović scored seven points for Tours.
After an even start to the second set, Alen Pajenk’s two aces gave the hosts a 6-4 advantage. ACH Volley gradually pulled away, leading 9-6, 12-8 and 15-10, before comfortably closing the set 25-19. Štern added six points in the set, while Pajenk and Luka Marovt contributed four each.
ACH Volley posted an impressive 73% positive reception, with Tours at 71%.
The third set followed a similar pattern. After an early tie, ACH Volley moved ahead 6-4 and later 10-7. Tours fought back to take a 13-12 lead, but the multiple Slovenian champions regained control at 17-16 and never looked back, closing the set 25-22 and the match 3-0.
Tonček Štern was named MVP after an outstanding performance, finishing with 24 points (1 ace, 1 block, 73% attack efficiency). Luka Marovt added 11 points for ACH Volley. For Tours VB, Nik Mujanović scored 16 points, while Landry Kavogo Yaoussia contributed 13.
The Polish champions of Bogdanka LUK Lublin continued their excellent run in Pool B, outclassing Galatasaray HDI Istanbul 3-1 away from home at the Burhan Felek Sports Hall. With three wins from three matches, the Poles remain the only unbeaten team in the group and, halfway through the group stage of the 2026 CEV Champions League Volley - Men, have put themselves in a strong position to finish top of the standings.
The opening set was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Galatasaray and Bogdanka traded early points, with some unforced errors from Galatasaray giving Bogdanka opportunities they didn’t miss, pushing the score to 12-10. Hillir Henno’s ace brought Bogdanka within two, but the teams stayed neck and neck, hitting 17-17 and 18-18. Galatasaray struck back with an ace by Ahmet Tümer take a 20-19 lead, prompting a timeout. After the break, the battle continued point by point, 23-23 and 23-24, before Galatasaray edged ahead 25-24. The set was sealed 26-24 after a powerful finish from Can Koç, capping a thrilling exchange of skill and nerve.
The second set started tight, with both teams going point for point early - 3-2, 8-7, and 10-9 - before leveling at 10-10. Galatasaray managed to edge slightly ahead at 14-13, but Bogdanka responded strongly, going on a run to move the score to 18-15 and then 21-16. They closed out the set decisively at 25-17, showing resilience and control down the stretch.
The third set got off to a shaky start for Galatasaray, trailing 2-4 and then 2-5 after two consecutive aces from Wilfredo León and some unforced errors. León stepped up in attack as well, while the Polish team continued to show precision, extending their lead to 13-9. Henno had some strong attacks but also made a serving error, bringing the score to 16-20, and was even blocked by Roamy Alonso. Despite this, Bogdanka regained their rhythm. Aleks Grozdanov caused problems for the Turkish reception, but Galatasaray managed to save the first setpoint. Ultimately, Bogdanka closed out the set 25-19, asserting control with consistent attacking and tactical pressure.
Galatasaray showed early determination, taking a 5-3 lead after an ace from Stephen Maar, signaling they were not ready to give in. However, an error by the hosts brought the score to 6-6, and the teams began trading points. A strong ace by Koç pushed Galatasaray ahead 10-7, forcing Stéphane Antiga to call a timeout, but Bogdanka responded well, with Jackson Young leveling the score at 10-10. Wilfredo León’s block-out made it 11-12, prompting a timeout for Galatasaray. Their unforced errors continued, preventing them from regaining momentum, while Bogdanka maintained a steady level. Henno’s ace extended the lead to 22-17, and with Grozdanov delivering a solid performance in the closing moments, Bogdanka comfortably closed the set 25-18.
Bogdanka outclassed their opponents on all Volleyball counts: 56 to 45 winning spikes (62% to 49% exc. in attack), nine to six kill blocks, seven to four aces.
Wilfredo Leon grabbed the MVP award, finishing with 21 points to his name (two aces, two kill blocks) and 63 % exc. in attack.
Pool C - Guaguas LAS PALMAS (ESP) vs VK Lvi PRAHA (CZE) 3–2 (25–16, 21–25, 25–21, 19–25, 15–11)
Guaguas LAS PALMAS held their nerve in front of a passionate home crowd to edge VK Lvi PRAHA in a dramatic five-set battle at the Gran Canaria Arena, securing a crucial victory in Pool C of the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 after 142 minutes of intense Volleyball.
The Spanish side made a confident start, dictating play in the opening set with strong work in transition and consistent pressure from the service line. Led by Francisco Wallyson Bezerra Souza, Guaguas pulled away early and closed the set 25-16 to set the tone.
VK Lvi PRAHA responded with composure in the second set. After a balanced opening, the Czech champions found better rhythm in attack and limited Guaguas’ scoring runs, turning the momentum to take the set 25-21 and restore parity.
Guaguas regained control in the third set, capitalising on key moments at the net and maintaining their efficiency in side-out to move back in front with a 25-21 win. But PRAHA once again refused to fade. Drawing on the resilience they had shown in previous tight Pool C encounters, the visitors produced a strong fourth set, forcing errors and levelling the match with a 25-19 finish to send the contest to a tie-break.
The deciding set stayed tight in the early exchanges, but Guaguas found the crucial break points when it mattered most. Bezerra Souza delivered under pressure with decisive attacks, helping the hosts pull clear late on and close the tie-break 15-11 to seal a hard-earned 3-2 victory.
Bezerra Souza was named MVP after a commanding performance, finishing with a match-high 28 points and once again proving decisive in the key phases. David Kollator led VK Lvi PRAHA with 21 points, continuing his strong scoring form in Pool C, but it was Guaguas who made better use of their chances in the decisive moments.
The win keeps Guaguas LAS PALMAS firmly in the hunt in a tightly contested Pool C, while VK Lvi PRAHA once again showed their ability to compete at the highest level, pushing their opponents to the very last rally for the second consecutive match - just as they had done a week earlier when playing BERLIN Recycling Volleys.