Emotions ran high on Tuesday evening as #CLVolleyM saw wins for Lube, Bogdanka, BR Volleys and Lüneburg

Pool B - Bogdanka LUK LUBLIN (POL) vs Knack ROESELARE (BEL) 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-16, 15-13)

Bogdanka LUK Lublin and Knack Roeselare, just like in their first encounter, delivered a thrilling five-set battle. This time, the Pool B leaders, playing in front of their home crowd at Hala Globus Tomasz Wójtowicz in Lublin, produced a stunning comeback, overturning a 2-0 deficit and even saving a match point, to secure their fourth win of the season and reinforce their position at the top of the pool standings.

Bogdanka Lublin were forced to adjust their line-up due to health issues, and the absence of opposite Kewin Sasak led head coach Stéphane Antiga to introduce a system with three outside hitters. Knack Roeselare made the stronger start, moving ahead 3–1 after a spike from Basil Dermaux. Backed by their home crowd, Bogdanka responded with intensity, led by Wilfredo Leon, and an ace from McCarthy handed the hosts their first lead at 8–7. What followed was a hard-fought opening set, marked by an exchange of powerful attacks and led offensively by Leon (8 points, 64% success in attack) and Dermaux (7 points, 67%). With neither side able to establish a clear advantage, the score remained tight until 21–21, when Oskar Espeland’s ace on Leon swung the momentum back to Roeselare at 23–21. Erik Siksna then closed the set at 25–22 with a decisive spike, his fourth point of the opener.

Although Bogdanka took an early 3–1 lead, Roeselare responded immediately, winning the next two rallies with Van Elsen powering their attacks. At 5–5, Bogdanka seized the momentum with Marcin Komenda on serve, moving ahead to 8–5. The hosts then found their rhythm, and following powerful spikes from Leon, extended the lead to 11–6. Despite Bogdanka’s advantage, Roeselare remained resilient, relying on their blocking. A triple block first stopped Leon and Young, narrowing the gap from 14–10 to 14–13 and putting renewed pressure on the hosts. The set then evolved into a tight, point-by-point battle. Entering the decisive phase, Roeselare, with Siksna on serve, caused major problems for Bogdanka’s reception, winning four consecutive actions to take a 21–18 lead. Espeland, who finished with 6 points in the set at 71% attack efficiency, pushed the visitors to 24–21. Bogdanka’s hopes were briefly revived by a Komenda–McCarthy–Young triple block that stopped Siksna, but Dermaux quickly sealed the set for Roeselare at 25–23.

Knack Roeselare maintained their momentum, opening the set with an 8–4 lead powered by Espeland and Dermaux. With their backs against the wall, Bogdanka, led by Young and McCarthy, narrowed the gap to 8–7, but Roeselare quickly responded, winning the next two rallies to move ahead 10–7. A powerful block from Dermaux on Leon extended the visitors’ lead to 13–9, signaling Roeselare’s determination to dominate the set. Irritated, Leon fired back with one of his trademark weapons — a dominant serve — to cut the deficit to 13–12. Bogdanka then tied the score at 14–14, trying to shift the pressure onto the visitors. However, Roeselare stayed composed, impressing with precise offensive plays to regain a 17–15 advantage. The hosts continued to fight, but Knack held the edge up to 23–21. A long rally ended with a spike from Henno to level at 23–23, before Dermaux—who stood out in the set with 11 points—delivered a kill for match point at 24–23. Bogdanka, showing nerves of steel, turned the set in their favor, ultimately closing it with an ace from McCarthy 28-26.

The fourth set began strongly for Bogdanka, who raced to a 5–1 lead powered by Leon. Roeselare's coach Verhanneman called a time-out to stop the hosts’ momentum, and his team responded with four consecutive points. However, Bogdanka remained unfazed. Leon (7 points) and Young (3), supported by Grozdanov (4), regained control, driving the hosts to a 15–9 lead. Under mounting pressure, Roeselare began committing more errors, and with Leon serving, Bogdanka extended their dominance to 19–11. Confidently controlling the set, the hosts closed it 25–16, securing a tie-break.

An ace from Siksna opened the decisive set, signaling that Roeselare was not finished yet. Both teams fought fiercely, eager to take control of the set. Marcin Komenda relied heavily on his middle blocker, Grozdanov, who was unstoppable in this set, recording a perfect 100% success rate in attack as Bogdanka edged ahead 5–4. The two sides traded powerful points and mega rallies, with neither able to gain a clear advantage. Roeselare was the first to reach a two-point lead at 8–6 following a too long attack from Young, but Bogdanka, fueled by Henno’s spikes, quickly closed the gap. The thrilling back-and-forth continued, with the score tied at 13–13. In the decisive moments, Bogdanka leaned on their leader, Wilfredo Leon, who delivered the match point. McCarthy then sealed the victory with a winning net play, closing the set 15–13.

Leon finished as Bogdanka’s top scorer with 26 points, including 43% positive receptions, 2 aces, 2 blocks, and 22 kills at 56% success, earning him another well-deserved MVP award. He was supported by Hilir Henno with 18 points and Aleks Grozdanov with 12. For Roeselare, Basil Dermaux led all scorers with 27 points (3 aces, 1 block, 23 kills at 59% success rate), while Oskar Espeland contributed 18 points.

Pool C - BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER) vs VK Lvi PRAHA (CZЕ) 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 26-24) 

BERLIN Recycling Volleys held their nerve in a high-intensity Pool C encounter on Tuesday evening, edging past VK Lvi Praha 3–1 at a lively Max-Schmeling-Halle to strengthen their position in the Champions League group. In front of more than 4,100 spectators, the German champions delivered a composed performance in the decisive moments of each set, overcoming a spirited Czech challenge in a match that lasted just over two hours.

Berlin set the tone early, controlling the opening set with strong work in transition and efficient finishing to claim it 25–19. Praha responded immediately in the second, raising their level at the net and capitalising on Berlin errors to edge a tight set 25–23 and draw level. The third set proved pivotal: both sides traded momentum deep into extra points, before Berlin leaned on their experience to close it 27–25 and regain the lead.

With the visitors refusing to fade, the fourth set developed into another tense battle. Praha stayed within touching distance throughout, but Berlin once again showed composure under pressure, sealing the match 26–24 to secure the full three points and complete the season double over their Czech opponents.

Jake Hanes led Berlin’s offence with a match-high 21 points, while Moritz Reichert added 17 and contributed from the service line. At the net, Pablo Crer made his presence felt with five kill blocks. For Praha, David Kollátor finished with 17 points, as the Czech side outblocked their hosts but were unable to convert that advantage into a decisive edge.

Kyle Patrick Dagostino was named MVP after a well-rounded performance in reception and defence, anchoring Berlin through the longest rallies of the night. 

The victory keeps BERLIN Recycling Volleys firmly in the hunt for progression from Pool C, while VK Lvi Praha, despite another competitive showing, leave Berlin still searching for the points they need to keep their knockout hopes alive.

Pool D - SVG LÜNEBURG (GER) vs Asseco Resovia RZESZÓW (POL) 3-1 (25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 25-20)

Tuesday’s Pool D clash between third-placed SVG Lüneburg and second-placed Asseco Resovia Rzeszów carried major significance, with the race for tickets to the next round still wide open. Backed by home support, Lüneburg made full use of the home-court advantage to take revenge for their first meeting, which had ended in a straight-sets win for Resovia. This time, after a thrilling battle, the hosts proved superior, delivering a standout performance to claim valuable points in the standings, with both teams now level on six points, two wins and two defeats.

From the very first rally it was clear that the clash at LKH Arena Lüneburg carried major stakes. A long, thrilling exchange ended with a spike from Karol Butryn (5 points in the first set), setting the tone for a tight, point-by-point battle. The hosts responded immediately, with Joscha Kunstmann firing the first ace of the match. Lüneburg were the first to build a two-point cushion at 7-5 and soon extended it to 9-6 after an attack by Ethan Champlin, prompting a Resovia time-out. The visitors regrouped well, closing the gap to 10-9, and from then on the teams traded points almost evenly. A block by Santeri Välimaa and Kunstmann on Szalpuk pushed the hosts ahead 17-14, but Resovia answered instantly through powerful attacks from Szalpuk and Sapiński to level the score at 18–18. An ace from Szalpuk (5 points in the opener) finally gave the visitors the lead at 20-19, yet it only sparked Lüneburg’s best stretch of the set. Playing flawlessly in the closing phase, the trio of Gruvaeus, Lund and Champlin guided the hosts to a 24-21 advantage, before Enlund sealed the set with a block on Cebulj for a 25-22 win. Gruvaeus was perfect in attack, converting all 6 of his attempts in the opening set.

The hosts carried their momentum into the next set, opening with a 4–1 lead behind Santeri Välimaa’s service run. Gruvaeus and Enlund continued to lead the charge, but Resovia answered back with Cezary Sapiński at the service line, leveling the score at 9–9 after a spike from Karol Butryn. Powered by Butryn and Cebulj (5 points each in the set), the visitors pressed on to take a 13–11 lead and held their lead despite tireless efforts from the hosts, energized by the home crowd, up to 19–16. From there, Lüneburg launched a fearless comeback, scoring three straight points with Enlund (5 points), Champlin (7) and Howe (4) at the forefront to edge ahead 21–20. A nail-biting finish followed, electrifying the arena as Resovia rose to the challenge, forcing a point-by-point battle that reached 23–23 and pushed the set into extra time. In the end, the visitors held their nerve and claimed the set 27–25.

The third set also began in Lüneburg’s favor, with Gruvaeus at the forefront as the hosts built a 6–3 lead. Once again, Resovia remained undeterred, gradually closing the gap through solid team play in all elements to level the score at 10–10. Another intense battle unfolded, this time with the visitors edging ahead 16–13, led by Szalpuk and Cebulj, who contributed five and four points in this set respectively. Head coach Stefan Hübner called a time-out, and the hosts responded in the best possible way, putting together a four-point run highlighted by an ace from Lund and a spike from Champlin to regain the lead at 17–16. The set then turned into a tight point-by-point race once more (20–20), setting up a tense closing phase. An ace from Gruvaeus pushed Lüneburg ahead 23–21, and a spike from Howe earned the hosts two set points at 24–22. Champlin eventually sealed the set at 25–23, although it was Gruvaeus who once again made the biggest impact, tallying eight points in the set alone.

Determined to seal the victory, the hosts set the tone early he hosts set the tone early, racing to an 8–3 lead with Howe on the service line. Champlin and Enlund continued to apply pressure as Resovia struggled to regain their rhythm, particularly in attack, with Lüneburg extending the margin to 11–5. A brief Resovia response followed with Demyanenko at the service line, as the visitors claimed three consecutive rallies to close the gap to 11–8, but the momentum quickly swung back to an accelerated Lüneburg side. Powered by Champlin and Howe, the hosts moved ahead 15–9, while Gruvaeus once again made his presence felt from the service line with another ace to make it 17–11. Although Resovia managed to reduce the deficit to 20–16 through combined efforts from Bucki and Szalpuk, Lüneburg left no room for doubt, closing the set and the match at 25–20.

Daniel Gruvaeus led all scorers with 20 points (three aces, two blocks and 15 kills at 50% efficiency), followed by Ethan Champlin and Axel Lund, who each added 17 points. MVP honors went to Santeri Välimaa, who orchestrated the offense with excellent distribution and also contributed three points (two attacks, one block). For Resovia, Artur Szalpuk finished with 16 points, while Klemen Cebulj added 13.

Lüneburg held the upper hand in all statistical categories, with the biggest differences coming in blocking (10–5) and serving (6–2). The hosts also benefited from Resovia’s 23 service errors, compared to 19 committed by Lüneburg.

Pool E - Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA) vs Volley Haasrode LEUVEN (BEL) 3–0 (25–10, 25–19; 25-19)

Giovani Gargiulo’s serving run gave Lube early stability, allowing the Italians to exploit Leuven’s weak spots in the opening minutes. In complete control, Lube forced Leuven to call a timeout at 16–8, yet their dominance continued unabated. The Belgians tried to respond through the middle, but Lube pulled ahead to 20-10. The first set was sealed at 25–10 with an ace from Noa Duflos-Rossi, who finished with five points, becoming a standout in this set. Lube’s attack efficiency stood at an impressive 63%, compared to Leuven’s 22%, and the Italians recorded four kill blocks to Leuven’s one.

The second set was more balanced, though always under the firm control of the hosts. The Argentine opposite Pablo Kukartsev also saw court time, replacing Eric Loeppky. The teams were exchanging points early (1-1, 3-2, 7-4). Leuven appeared more settled, but unforced errors and the pressure of facing the pool leaders still hampered their rhythm. Lube maintained control at 16-11 and closed the set 25-19. Both teams improved offensively-Lube reached 70% attack efficiency while Leuven improved to 48%-but the Italians excelled in reception (71% positive versus Leuven’s 40%).

The third set was tightly contested. Leuven took the lead for the first time at 5-4 following a serving error by Aleksandar Nikolov. Both teams exchanged excellent rallies, with the score remaining close (11-10, 13-12). Lube edged ahead to 19-16, but Leuven stayed in contention, forcing a timeout at 21-18. The set-and match-ended with Duflos-Rossi earning MVP honors, finishing with 12 points, 82% attack efficiency, one block, and two aces. Leuven’s reception struggled at just 21% positive in the third set, while Lube maintained 54%, although both teams were closer in attack efficiency (60% to 50%).

Lube dominated the match across the key statistical categories. They recorded 11 blocks compared to just one for Leuven, with Gargiulo contributing four and Davi Tenorio three. In attack, Lube also led with 38 winning spikes to Leuven’s 31, while their serving proved more effective, delivering four aces against Leuven’s two. Errors further tilted the balance in Lube’s favor, as the Belgians made 21 mistakes compared to 13 by the Italians.

While Duflos-Rossi shone in attack and earned MVP, Aleksandar Nikolov led Lube with 14 points, including 72% attack efficiency and one block. Overall, Lube’s dominance at the net and their superior serving and reception proved decisive.