Round 4 to open with matchup no. 2’000 in #CLVolleyW history!

There is no time to take any break or to relax for the 20 teams competing in the #CLVolleyW since the fourth round of matches in the group phase is coming up later this week with 10 exciting fixtures whose outcome is likely to have a major impact on the final standings of each pool. The fourth round of play will open in Istanbul with Fenerbahçe Medicana playing host to Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA for a truly special milestone – matchup no. 2’000 since the CEV Champions League Volley was officially born at the dawn of the millennium!  

Pool A 

VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. CS Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU) 

Pool leaders VakifBank ISTANBUL further solidified their supremacy in the group after emerging victorious (3-1) from the ‘Clash of the Titans’ with reigning Club World champions Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI, thereby avenging their heavy loss in last year’s semis. VakifBank will be trying to secure a fourth win in as many matches as they host the Romanian champions – whom they beat 3-1 earlier this season. This will be the third matchup in #CLVolleyW history between these two teams – as they previously locked horns in the 2018 gold medal match won by VakifBank in straight sets. With the victory they celebrated in Leg 2, VakifBank managed to keep an immaculate record with Romanian opposition which stands at 10 wins and zero losses. 

Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI (ITA) vs. Volero LE CANNET (FRA) 

Recently crowned Club World champions SCANDICCI will be trying to bounce back from their loss to VakifBank as they play Volero for the second time this season. In the second leg, SCANDICCI secured a 3-1 victory in France – in what was their very first matchup with French opposition in the #CLVolleyW. Volero, on the other hand, saw their record against Italian teams worsen to one win and four losses. Ekaterina Antropova, who scored 30 points in the losing effort with VakifBank, will be again the one to watch for SCANDICCI as they play their second straight match at home. 

Volero LE CANNET have strengthened the squad with the arrival of Liza Safronova from Fenerbahçe. Having already competed in the CEV European Cups this season with Fenerbahçe, she is not eligible for this Champions League campaign, but she will be a key asset for the Saforelle Power 6 and the Coupe de France. With eight matches on the schedule, all carrying major stakes, in January alone, this promises to be an intense and decisive month in the pursuit of Volero’s season objectives. It is a demanding run of high-level games that will test the commitment, unity, and ambition the players. 

Marco Fenoglio, head coach of Volero LE CANNET: “The matchup with SCANDICCI will be like another game, similar to the one against VakifBank and Savino Del Bene in the first round. It is a really good opportunity for us to play an important match against a very strong team. Now, they are world champions. I hope we will use this game to gain more experience. I hope that we try to fight for every point. It will not be easy, but this kind of game is really important for our team because we are young and we need experience. We need to enjoy this opportunity.” 

Alina Popova, player of Volero: “We are entering the second half of the Champions League, and meeting SCANDICCI again feels like an important step in our journey. We know the gap between the respective national leagues, but that only motivates us to fight. For me, matches like this are something special: they remind you why you fell in love with the sport in the first place. The atmosphere, the challenge, the chance to test yourself among great players – it is a feeling you want to hold on to. I am truly happy to play games like this, and I hope we can deliver a performance that reflects our spirit and our work.” 

Savino Del Bene come into the match fresh from their national league victory against Eurotek Laica BUSTO ARSIZIO. For the Scandicci-based club, it was their 25th win in 28 matches played this season so far. The clash with Volero will be Savino Del Bene Volley’s fourth match in January. In the first month of the year, the team will also compete in the Coppa Italia Finals, scheduled to take place in Turin on January 24 and 25. Only one Savino Del Bene Volley player has previous experience in France: Avery Skinner, who competed for BEZIERS Volley in the 2022/2023 season.

Sandor Kantor, assistant coach of Savino Del Bene: “The match against Volero will not be an easy one. We will have to get used again to playing with a different ball compared to the one used in the league. LE CANNET have also signed a new player, and at the moment we do not know who will be on the court. We need to perform at our level and continue to improve, because in my opinion this team still has a great margin for growth. We need to touch many more balls in defence; if we do that, our improvement will become much easier.” 

Pool B 

Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA) 

Chronologically, this is the very first match of the week and it coincides with a major milestone for European Volleyball – this matchup is indeed the no. 2’000 such fixture since the CEV Champions League Volley was introduced in conjunction with the 2000/2001 season!  

Earlier this season, the Yellow Angels ended their negative run in matchups with Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA – after losing four times in a row to the 2019 #CLVolleyW winners, they stormed to a comprehensive 3-0 victory in Italy. Fenerbahçe is the only team yet to concede a single set in this year’s Round 4 and they lead the way in Pool B with maximum nine points after three rounds of matches. With the victory they secured in Novara, Fenerbahçe improved their win-loss record against Italian opposition to 8-13 and they will be trying to capitalise on the home-court advantage at Burhan Felek Volleyball Hall to cement their leadership in the group even further. NOVARA, on the other hand, will seek redemption after that heavy loss on home soil – whereby their record against Turkish teams dropped to nine wins and eight losses in the Champions league and to four wins and five losses in the group phase alone. 

PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ (POL) vs. Sport LISBOA e Benfica (POR) 

Earlier this season, rookies Benfica claimed their first historic victory in the #CLVolleyW group stage as they edged PGE Budowlani 3-2 on home soil. The ‘Eagles’ celebrated this major achievement and will travel to Poland with some additional confidence since late last week they put up much of a fight also against NOVARA before surrendering in a tightly contested third set (31-29). PGE Budowlani, on the other hand, will be trying to secure their first victory of the season – as they currently lie in fourth place with one point and zero wins from three matches. 

Veronika Djokic, player of Benfica: “It is an important game for the group phase, and we are happy that we can go there and show again our game. We knew that this Champions League season would be tough, but we are fighting every day, we are practicing, we are improving, and I think this is helping in every game.” 

Pool C 

Numia Vero Volley MILANO (ITA) vs. OK Železničar LAJKOVAC (SRB) 

Pool leaders MILANO play the Serbian rookies in a repeat of their matchup from Leg 2 – when last year’s bronze medal winners emerged victorious in three sets with Elena Pietrini receiving the MVP award. This way, MILANO have a perfect 3-0 win-loss record against Serbian opposition in the #CLVolleyW. They recently lost a closely contested affair with Eczacibasi and maximum points from this matchup will be vital if the Italians are to maintain their current first place in the group. 

Stefano Lavarini, head coach of Numia Vero Volley MILANO: “There are some very important points up for grabs in this game: to win them, we will need to stay focused against a team that showed in their last game against Olympiacos that they can fight and improve with every game they play on the international stage. We need to show the superior technical ability of our entire squad, while paying them the utmost respect.” 

Benedetta Sartori, middle blocker of Numia Vero Volley MILANO: “It is our first Champions League home game of 2026: our goal is to get three points. We will have to play our best Volleyball and try to continue working on our weaknesses. After the defeat against Eczacibasi, we want to bounce back and win to maintain our lead in Pool C: we will try to put in an excellent performance to achieve an all-important victory.” 

Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Olympiacos PIRAEUS (GRE) 

Eczacibasi have experienced some highs and lows in this year’s campaign so far – losing to Olympiacos in Greece before claiming a hard-fought (3-2) victory over last year’s bronze medal winners Numia Vero Volley MILANO only a few days ago. Earlier this season, they suffered their first-ever loss to a Greek opponent in the #CLVolleyW – a setback that initiated a series of two straight wins for rookies Olympiacos in the pool. The winners of the 2018 CEV Challenge Cup, Olympiacos are making their debut appearance in the #CLVolleyW group stage and their campaign has been highly remarkable this far with two wins from three matches. Their experienced player and last week’s MVP Jovana Stevanovic is among the best blockers in the competition so far with a personal tally of 11 blocks. 

Pool D 

A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO (ITA) vs. DRESDNER SC (GER) 

The Italian ‘Panthers’ are having an extremely busy schedule across their national league, the #CLVolleyW and the national cup – whose Final Four is scheduled for later this month. The two-time defending champions – winners of the competition in 2021 as well – earlier this season improved their record against German opposition to 5-1 as they needed three sets only to beat DRESDNER SC while playing away from home. The Germans, on the other hand, are yet to take a single set from their three matches against Italian teams. Even though they have appeared less dominant than last season, the ‘Panthers’ remain the heavy favourites of this match as well as for the top spot in Pool D. 

Middle Blocker Marina Lubian will not be able to play as she is recovering from an injury to her right ankle. CONEGLIANO is coming off a tough tiebreak victory in the Italian league against Reale Mutua Fenera CHIERI     ’76 and is first in the Italian league standings with 17 wins and one loss only. 

Daniele Santarelli, head coach of CONEGLIANO: “The match with DRESDNER SC comes in the middle of a busy league schedule, and the Italian Cup Final Four is coming up soon as well. It will be a crucial match for our further progress in the Champions League, a competition of unique prestige and appeal that remains at the top of our priorities. We want to go all the way in domestic competitions and in Europe as well, so we are focused on tomorrow’s game, which we cannot afford to lose. DRESDNER SC is a young, yet challenging team against which we played an excellent game in the first leg, and we will try to confirm our form at home. Managing all the players will be crucial. After this fixture, we have only one day of rest before we host Bergamo on Saturday in the league. I will make some changes to the lineup. We need everyone on the roster because we have so many games, we are playing every three days. We are doing pretty fine. We are on track to get all the players back so that we have the whole team at their best again. I want to thank our fantastic fans for supporting us with their usual warmth.” 

ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ (POL) vs. ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü (TUR) 

Earlier this season, these teams played each other for the first time, with wildcard holders ANKARA – who are participating in an international competition for the very first time in their history – securing a 3-0 home victory powered by 17 points scored by Anna Lazareva. This way, the team from Poland saw their record against Turkish opposition worsen to one win and six losses. As they are vying for their first victory in the competition this season, the home side will be trying to bring back memories from their 3-1 win against Fenerbahce Opet ISTANBUL in the 2022/2023 group phase. ANKARA, on the other hand, are looking for a third straight victory after losing their #CLVolleyW premiere 2-3 to defending champions CONEGLIANO. 

Adrian Chyliński, head coach of ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ: “A tough match is coming up - Zeren is a great team. We had our chances in the first match, but we need to be perfect if we want to fight with them for the victory. I hope we perform better than we did against Conegliano.”

Stevan Ljubicic, head coach of ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü: “It has been a long journey, but we will certainly be refreshed and ready for this challenge. Once again, I believe our individual quality must shine through; we need to demonstrate on the court that we are individually superior to ŁKS. At the same time, we must keep Saturday’s match in mind. Both tomorrow’s game and the upcoming Saturday fixture are crucial for us. As the domestic championship remains our focus, we are managing things accordingly. Nevertheless, I truly hope we can deliver our best performance in this #CLVolleyW match.” 

Pool E 

KS Developres RZESZÓW (POL) vs. LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud (FRA) 

Even though they lost to the ‘Mariannes’ in Paris a few weeks ago, KS Developres RZESZÓW are still at the top of the Pool E standing. Their Parisian setback coincided with a historic moment for the French national champions, who celebrated their first victory in the group stage of the competition – in what is only their second #CLVolleyW appearance in history. Previously, KS Developres RZESZÓW had won five of their six Champions League matches against French opposition. This is a highly important fixture with the Polish champions needing a victory on home soil if they are to solidify their leadership in the group. 

Cesar Hernandez Gonzalez, head coach of KS Developres: “It is an important match because in this group everybody can still finish first. Now we will play two matches at home, with PARIS and SCHWERIN – so it is important that the matches at home end with a good result. We know it is not going to be easy because PARIS is a good team, we already lost against them so we have to be ready. Our target is to secure a victory and claim as many points as possible.” 

SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN (GER) vs. Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) 

Sharing the same win-loss record and number of points as pool leaders KS Developres, SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN are in full contention for first place in the pool. Earlier this season, they beat Maritza 3-2 in Bulgaria. This victory allowed them to keep a perfect record in their matches with the Bulgarian champions – since they had previously won both at home and away in the 8th Finals of the 2016 CEV Cup. Libero Zhana Todorova was part of Maritza PLOVDIV’s squad that season already, but she did not play in the return match against SCHWERINER SC. Their home loss solidified the negative record for Maritza PLOVDIV against German opposition in the #CLVolleyW which currently stands at three losses in as many matches. The multiple Bulgarian champions and cup winners will be trying to end this negative streak when they travel to Schwerin later this week on the back of their recent home victory over LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud. 

Felix Koslowski, head coach of SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN: “Maritza are a very experienced team with international quality, having competed consistently at the top level for many years. They have a clear playing structure and know exactly how to perform in crucial moments. For us, it will be important to play with courage from the very first point, find our rhythm early on, and consistently bring our strengths onto the court. If we manage to stay united as a team, maintain a high level of focus and use the atmosphere here in Schwerin to our advantage, we can put our stamp on the match.”

Jet Kok, outside hitter of SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN: “We expect Maritza to be a team with physically strong players and, just like in the away match in Plovdiv, a very competitive opponent and a match full of tension. As a team, we want to step onto the court with a lot of energy from the beginning and show structured Volleyball. It is amazing to play Champions League in our own hall with the SSC fans, and we will fight hard to keep the points in Schwerin to secure a strong position in the group.” 

Ahmetcan Ersimsek, head coach of Maritza: “It will be a really hard match against SCHWERIN. The first match we played against them at home went 3-2. It was a really good match in a nice atmosphere. I expect the same tomorrow here, in Schwerin. It will not be easy, but, of course, our target is to win.”

Vanessa Agbortabi, outside hitter of Maritza: “I am definitely excited to play at home in Germany. I will also see some familiar faces, which is always nice to have around for once, being back home. Schwerin is a great hall to play in. I have already played there many times in my past. Great atmosphere! I think it is going to be a good match. It will be an exciting match and I hope that this time we can bring the win home.”