VakıfBank prevail over Scandicci to top Pool A, Fenerbahçe confirm their supremacy in Pool B
Recap
All questions in Pools A and B were answered on #CLVolleyW Super Wednesday, as the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 pool stage came to an end. Pool A delivered high drama, with VakıfBank Istanbul and Savino Del Bene Scandicci locked in a thrilling race for first place and a direct quarterfinal berth. Trailing 0–2, the Turkish powerhouse mounted a stunning comeback to win in a tie-break and book their ticket to the last eight, while Scandicci must now battle through the playoffs. Earlier, CS Volei Alba Blaj secured a vital win over Volero Le Cannet, booking their place in the CEV Cup. In Pool B, Fenerbahçe Medicana Istanbul left no doubt, cruising past PGE Budowlani Łódź in straight sets to confirm their dominance. Second-placed Igor Gorgonzola Novara were equally convincing, defeating Sport Lisboa e Benfica without dropping a set.
VakifBank ISTANBUL reaffirmed their status as one of the competition’s most resilient sides on Wednesday night, battling past Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI in a dramatic five-set Pool A encounter to secure a hard-earned 3-2 home victory.
In front of 2,850 spectators at VakifBank Spor Sarayı, the Turkish powerhouse overturned a two-set deficit and held their nerve in the deciding set, adding another chapter to an already intense rivalry between two of Europe’s elite clubs. The win also served as revenge for last season’s semi-final defeat and reinforced VakifBank’s strong momentum heading into the decisive phase of the competition.
The opening two sets belonged to the Italian side, who showed composure and efficiency in key moments to edge both frames. Savino Del Bene displayed strong defensive organisation and consistently provided attacking options, building narrow advantages and capitalising on small lapses from the hosts to take a commanding early lead.
VakifBank, however, gradually raised their level and found their rhythm in front of their home crowd. Led by their trademark fighting spirit and improved attacking efficiency, Giovanni Guidetti’s squad began to turn the momentum in the third set, reducing errors and applying steady pressure from the service line and at the net.
The fourth set delivered high drama, with both teams exchanging runs in a tense battle that extended deep into extra points. VakifBank eventually prevailed 28-26, igniting the arena and forcing a decisive tie-break.
With confidence and energy firmly on their side, the hosts maintained control in the fifth set. VakifBank built a small but crucial lead midway through the decider and managed it calmly to close the match 15-12 after more than two hours of intense volleyball action.
Middle blocker Zehra Günes earned MVP honours, delivering an influential performance both in attack and at the net during the hosts’ comeback. VakifBank relied on balanced team production and composure under pressure to overcome a strong challenge from last season’s finalists. For Scandicci, Ekaterina Antropova once again led the offensive effort, while Marco Gaspari’s team showed resilience and quality despite falling just short in the decisive moments.
Zehra Gunes"Words cannot describe the high quality of volleyball we played in this match. Coming back from 0-2 down is not something every team can do. We believed we would win, and we succeeded. Everyone who entered the game made an incredible contribution. I am delighted we achieved such a victory in front of such magnificent fans."
player of VakifBank Istanbul
Linda Nwakalor"It was a really long and tough game. We started with a really good approach. We knew what was our goal, to be the first in the group. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to close the match when we had to. We had two chances because we could win 3-0 or 3-1, but we didn't use the chances we had."
player of Savino Del Bene Scandicci
Giovanni Guidetti"I'm pretty proud of the girls because they didn't give up. They fought like crazy against a very strong team. It's a pity about the first two sets because we were always in the lead. I believe we should have won those first two sets. At this level, how you play during these key moments is very important. But after those two sets, an ordinary team might have given up, but we didn't. The girls kept going; they kept fighting, kept believing, and I think we did a great job."
head coach of VakifBank Istanbul
Marco Gaspari"The game was really hard for us, playing inside this great gym with a lot of supporters that push the home side so much. We started the game really well, especially with block and defense system. They grew a lot from the third set. And the fourth set, we had the opportunity to move 24-20 in front. I think we did have our chances, but the best team won in the end, for sure."
head coach of Savino Del Bene Scandicci
Pool A - CS Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU) vs Volero LE CANNET (FRA) 3-1 (25-17, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19)
Romania’s CS Volei Alba Blaj achieved their first victory in Pool A of the Champions League, but it was enough for a last-minute snatch of the third place in the final pool standings and advancement to the quarterfinal stage of the CEV Cup. In Wednesday’s home game at the Polivalenta hall in Blaj, they celebrated a 3-1 (25-17, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19) win over Volero Le Cannet, just what they needed to level the French team on wins, points and set ratios, and surpass them on point ratios, knocking them out of further contention.
A lot better organized on the court than their opponents, Alba scored six points in a row to break away with an early 9-4 lead and remained in control of the scoreboard through the rest of the first set. Brazilian outside hitter Drussyla Costa and her cross-court teammate Ariana Pirv spearheaded the offense on the way to a 25-17 close, shaped up by 21-year-old Croatian middle blocker Viktoria Ana Trcol with a serving ace for the set winner.
In the second set, Volero struck back with improved performance in attack and in serving, while Alba started committing far too many unforced errors. The French team ran off with a 13-7 lead, but the home side managed to get back to within one, only to let Volero break away again and stay away. The 25-18 set winner came with a serving point from Bulgarian outside Vangeliya Rachkovska to level the match.
Alba’s Italian opposite Vittoria Piani led the team’s swinging effort in the third set. The Romanian team managed to take an early 6-2 lead. Stepping up their performance in attack, Volero battled back and managed to catch up several times, last at 19-19. After that, however, Alba produced five points in a row on Drussyla’s serving turn to reach set point, which was shortly converted by Trcol with a speedy attack through the middle for 25-20.
This meant that the fourth set would decide the third place in the final pool standings. Showing some fantastic blocking throughout the set, Alba stormed in on a 7-2 run and never looked back. Volero fought hard in their attempts to recover, with Russian opposite Alina Popova on fire in attack, but all they could do was get back to within two a few times. The Romanians kept up the blocking pressure and it was with a monster block by Belgian playmaker Charlotte Krenicky that they closed the set at 25-19 and the match at 3-1.
Drussyla Costa earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the match. She delivered a team-high 19 points, including two aces and a kill block. Vittoria Piani, Ariana Pirv and Viktoria Trcol (five stuffs) also reached the double digits with 18, 13 and 12 points, respectively. Alina Popova topped the chart with a match-high 20 points for Volero.
Drussyla Costa“I am so happy for this victory! This is a great moment. We worked very well this week and played hard. Now we will start to focus on our preparation for the CEV Cup challenge. First, we have to find out whom we are playing against and we will start studying them.”
MVP and player of CS Volei Alba Blaj
Pool B - Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR) vs PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ (POL) (25-8, 25-17, 26-24)
Playing in front of their home crowd, Fenerbahçe opened the match with their strongest lineup, missing only Vargas. The hosts made an explosive start, racing to a 7-1 lead behind the powerful attacking of Arina Fedorovtseva and the tough serving of Alessia Orro, who also recorded an ace. Unable to find their rhythm, Budowlani Łódź struggled badly in reception. Another long serving run from Fedorovtseva, combined with effective work at the net by Agnieszka Korneluk (5 points in the opener), stretched the advantage to a commanding 12-2. Fenerbahçe remained in full control throughout the set, dominating every aspect of play. A final service run from Fedorovtseva (7 points, including three aces) sealed a one-sided 25-8 set victory, wrapped up in just 18 minutes.
Budowlani Łódź opened the second set with an ace from Paulina Damaske, a strong start that gave the visitors confidence and allowed them to stay close to Fenerbahçe in the early stages (9-8). Łódź’s offense was driven by Damaske and Rodica Buterez. Momentum shifted when Eda Erdem delivered two consecutive aces, pushing Fenerbahçe ahead 12-8 and reigniting the hosts’ dominance. From that point on, Fedorovtseva (6 points), Erdem (6) and Korneluk (5) steadily extended the lead to 21-12. Korneluk’s attack sealed the set at 25-17.
With several changes to their lineup, Budowlani Łódź attempted to inject fresh energy and once again stayed competitive early in the set, locked level at 10-10. Bright spots for the visitors included Bruna Honorio, who finished with six points, and Karolina Drużkowska, whose presence brought renewed energy. Their contributions allowed Budowlani to trade points with Fenerbahçe and even claim the lead for the first time at 15-14. In a surprising turn, Budowlani maintained their advantage into the decisive phase, leading 19-18 and moving within two points of taking the set at 23-21. Under pressure, however, Eda Erdem and Hande Baladın stepped up to pull Fenerbahçe level at 23-23. After saving the first match point, a quick reaction from Alessia Orro sealed the set and the match, 26-24, as Fenerbahçe completed the pool stage with a perfect six wins.
The MVP honors went to Arina Fedorovtseva, who also shared top scorer status with 16 points. Her performance included four aces, 12 kills at 52% efficiency, and an impressive 67% positive reception rate. Agnieszka Korneluk, who also tallied 16 points had 13 kills at 72% efficiency and three blocks, while Eda Erdem contributed 11 points. For Budowlani, the leading scorers were Rodica Buterez with 7 points and Honorio with 6.
Fenerbahçe, unbeaten with six wins, topped Pool B, while Budowlani Łódź, with one victory, finished third.
Arina Fedorovtseva“We started really well, but at some point we lost a bit of focus and attention. Still, I’m happy that in the end we managed to win the match 3–0, because it was very important for us. We have high goals in the Champions League, so every point matters for a better ranking. We did our best, and thankfully we didn’t lose a set. Now we’ll see what comes next.”
MVP and player of Fenerbahce Medicana Istanbul
Pool B - Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA) vs Sport LISBOA e Benfica (POR) 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-15)
Novara made a strong start to the set, powered by Tatiana Tolok, to race into an early 5–1 lead, backed by solid work at the block. Benfica, however, didn't get discouraged and battled for every ball. Step by step, led by Isidora Ubavic (6 points in the opening set) and Alice Clemente (3), the visitors cut the gap to 6-5 and tied at 8-8. Novara regained control through Tolok and Veronica Costantini, who delivered a standout performance at the net with three blocks and three attacks. A serving run from Silke Van Avermaet helped extend the lead to 20-16. With that cushion, Novara closed the set 25-20, as both Tolok and Costantini finished with 6 points each.
After a competitive opening that saw the score tied at 9-9, Novara began to pull away, moving ahead 12-9 behind Tatiana Tolok (6 points in the set) and Silke Van Avermaet (who added 5 points while posting a perfect 100% success in attack). With near-flawless reception - 75% positive and 56% excellent - Novara dictated the tempo, extending the lead to 20-14 and confidently closing out the set. The final point came from an attack by Mayu Ishikawa, sealing a 25-17 win.
After securing the first two sets, and backed by loud support from their fans, Igor Gorgonzola Novara played with even greater confidence in the third. A strong serving run from Lina Alsmeier helped the hosts jump out to a 6-3 lead. Alsmeier was also effective in attack (6 points) together with Tatiana Tolok (4), extending Novara advantage to 12-6. Benfica struggled to find an answer to the hosts’ near-flawless performance, as the gap widened to 21-13. Two points from Giulia Melli, who entered the court in the decisive phase of the set, earned Novara a streak of match points at 24-15. The match was decided on the first opportunity, when a long spike from Sport Lisboa e Benfica sealed a 25-15 set and the straight-sets victory.
The MVP award went to Silke Van Avermaet, who finished with 11 points, including two blocks, one ace and eight kills at 73% success. Match-high scorer Tatiana Tolok delivered 16 points (one ace, one block and 14 kills at 56%). For Benfica, Isidora Ubavic led the way with 11 points.
With their fourth victory, Novara secured second place in Pool B, while Benfica ended the group stage in fourth position.
Silke Van Avermaet“I think it’s clear that this was a very important game for us. We needed to win every set we could and collect as many points as possible, so this victory is crucial in helping us secure the best possible position for the playoffs. All the teams advancing to the next round are very strong, but I feel we are growing as a team and progressing in this competition. I hope we’ll be ready for the next step, because our goal is to keep moving forward.”
MVP and player of Igor Gorgonzola Novara
Veronica Costantini“I was very focused and determined and I am proud of the good impact I had on the game. To me it is always special playing in this court with a big crowd and I can’t wait to achieve more of these experiences, over the next rounds of the CEV Champions League. We know that everything will be harder from now on but we are going to work hard in order to be ready for it.”
player of Igor Gorgonzola Novara
Lorenzo Bernardi“We are happy for the result, as we achieved a three-points and straight-set victory, which is what we worked for. Now we don’t know who will be our next opponents but for sure we expect tough games which we will prepare for with the goal of taking further steps over our European path.”
head coach of Igor Gorgonzola Novara