VakifBank, Scandicci and Schwerin shine at home as #CLVolleyW Round 4 Leg 1 intensifies

The third day of Leg 1 Round 4 action in the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 | Women delivered three convincing home victories and clear statements of intent from major contenders. In Istanbul, Europe’s most decorated club, VakifBank, opened their Pool A campaign with a confident 3-0 sweep of Volero Le Cannet, highlighted by a dramatic first-set comeback and an MVP performance from Marina Markova.

Savino Del Bene Scandicci began the new season exactly the way they hoped: with authority, precision, and a resounding 3-0 victory over CS Volei Alba Blaj. The Italians, last season’s Champions League runners-up, were determined to set the tone early, and they did so convincingly behind a collective display of power and control - and an MVP performance from outside hitter Lindsey Ruddins.

Meanwhile, in a fully crowded PALMBERG Arena, in Pool E, SSC Palmberg Schwerin began their ninth Champions League campaign with a strong 3-1 win over Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud - a team they had already beaten twice last season - as head coach Felix Koslowski once again found the right tactical blueprint, while Les Mariannes 92 continue their search for a first-ever victory in the competition. 

Pool A: VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR) vs Volero LE CANNET (FRA) 3-0 (25–19, 25–16, 25–19)

Volero Le Cannet entered the match with confidence, keeping pace early and then surprising the home crowd by building a seven-point lead after a dominant serving run and sharp block-defence.

VakifBank - a team with 144 previous fourth-round matches under their belt, more than any club in competition history - responded exactly like a six-time European champion would do.

With pressure from the service line, improved first-tempo execution, and a tightening block led by Zehra Güneş and Cansu Özbay’s fast distribution, VakifBank erased the entire deficit and held the French side at 19 points to close the set. Marina Markova came alive late, striking confidently from the left flank, while Tijana Bošković’s presence kept Le Cannet’s block pinned and hesitant.

The Turkish giants completed the comeback 25–19 - a reminder of what experience, depth, and composure look like on the European stage.

The second set showcased the growing gap in offensive efficiency: VakifBank’s speed, precision, and first-ball sideout rhythm overwhelmed Le Cannet’s defence.

Héléna Cazaute - facing a French opponent just months after taking bronze in last year’s Champions League - delivered steady reception and sharp attacking choices, finishing with a strong all-round performance (11 points, 71% positive reception).

VakifBank’s block claimed nine scoring points across the match, and their transition efficiency soared through the middle phase of the second set. With Orvosova and Markova applying constant pressure from the wings and Özbay accelerating the tempo, VakifBank pulled away to a clean 25–16 close, securing a 2–0 lead.

Volero, featuring players from nine nationalities and guided by newly arrived head coach Marco Fenoglio, produced their most balanced stretch in the third set. Amandine Giardino and Vangeliya Rachkovska kept the visitors competitive through extended rallies, while Anna Kotikova added timely scoring in transition.

But VakifBank’s depth proved decisive once again. Bošković’s late-set pressure, paired with stable sideout play from Markova and Cazaute, pushed the Turkish powerhouse ahead for good. The home side maintained a two-to-three-point cushion from 14-11 onward and finished the match 25–19 to secure a clean 3–0 victory - exactly the start they needed in Pool A.

VakifBank’s newest scoring weapon - Marina Markova - delivered a dynamic, high-efficiency performance, earning the MVP award in her Champions League Pool A opener. After the match, she spoke with confidence and ambition.

"About the (26) points, yes, I’m very happy. There’s always room to improve. I wasn’t really happy with my passing, but it’s something I can fix. Overall, I’m very happy with my performance today," Markova added.

Pool E: SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN (GER) vs. LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud (FRA) 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-15, 25-20) 

Schwerin opened the match strongly, but Les Mariannes 92 quickly settled. Both sides traded points in the early exchanges, highlighted by smart play from Schwerin’s Mia Kirchhoff and a string of unforced French errors that kept the score tight at 2-2.

The point-for-point rhythm continued through 4-4 where Levallois’ Victoria Mayer delivered a powerful serve - and onward to 8-8 and 9-9. Les Mariannes 92 then produced two strong plays at the net, showing precision in their blocking system. This surge gave them a 12-9 lead and forced the German coach to call a time-out. The strategy paid off immediately, as Schwerin leveled again at 12-12.

At 17-17 the set became a game of nerves, with both teams striving for precision. Levallois demonstrated excellent defensive stability, with setter Victoria Mayer distributing with variety and opening different attacking angles. Schwerin, however, refused to fall behind, responding with equally solid defence and leadership from Leana Grozer. As the set approached its final phase, Mia Kirchhoff emerged as Schwerin’s most productive scorer with five points and 44% efficiency in attack, while Tessa Polder led the French side with six points and an impressive 67% efficiency.

The hosts edged ahead 23-22 before a decisive ace by Kirchhoff brought up set point at 24–22.

Statistically, Schwerin held the advantage with 57% attack efficiency compared to Levallois’ 39%, and a clear edge in reception as well, 63% positive vs. 43% for the visitors.

The response from Les Mariannes 92 came immediately. Inspired and energized, the French side jumped to a 3-0 lead, riding the momentum that quickly carried them to 9-4. During the German time-out, head coach Felix Koslowski urged his players to “be precise,” but Levallois continued to control the rhythm of the set.

In this phase, Magdalena Bukovska shone particularly bright. She produced several decisive actions both in attack and on coverage, effectively stealing the spotlight and driving Levallois forward.

Schwerin tried to close the gap, finding solutions through their blocking line. However, Levallois maintained a solid point cushion throughout. Their blocking remained effective, and they continued applying pressure from the service line and first tempo combinations. Schwerin struggled to match their consistency.

The set concluded 25-17 for the French, wrapped up in 26 minutes, confirming Levallois’ dominance in this phase of the match.

Les Mariannes 92 proved better on all counts in this set - 15 winning spikes (to 10), 3 kill blocks (to 1) and one ace. 

The third set opened evenly at 1-1, with Mia Kirchhoff returning to the court and immediately influencing the German side’s momentum. Schwerin’s strong serving performance began to trouble the French reception line, and Kirchhoff herself delivered an ace to push the score to 5-3. Shortly after, Jet Kok added another ace for 7-4, keeping the pressure high. Even when the serves were not direct winners, they forced Levallois into predictable plays, allowing Schwerin to organise their counterattacks with greater efficiency.

The serving run continued as Britte Stuut contributed an ace of her own, extending the gap to 10-5. Facing the growing deficit, Alessandro Orefice, coach of Les Mariannes 92, reminded his team: “This is volleyball, we have to fight.”

Schwerin, however, held the upper hand. Long rallies unfolded around 14-8, with the German team playing with both motivation and clarity. Their defensive discipline and aggressive service rhythm kept Levallois from finding stability. Stuut struck again from the service line, delivering another ace for 22-12, while Levallois suffered at key moments.

Schwerin closed the set confidently at 25-15, restoring control of the match through a dominant serving display and sustained pressure on the French reception.

Schwerin closed the set with an impressive number of five aces, while conceding none, creating the decisive gap and moving firmly toward victory.

The fourth set began with both teams trading points, maintaining a tense and balanced rhythm. Levallois then edged ahead at 11-9 and 12-10, but Schwerin remained within reach.

Once again, Britte Stuut proved crucial from the service line. Her powerful serve produced another ace at 15-15, restoring parity. Schwerin’s Marije Ten Brinke followed up with a well-timed block for 16-16, keeping the set wide open.

The momentum shifted further when Schwerin delivered more pressure from the service line-this time with an ace from Annegret Hölzig for 18–17. That run set the stage for a decisive surge led by Leana Grozer, who delivered emotionally charged, high-impact plays. First, she pushed Schwerin ahead 19-17, forcing the Italian coach of Levallois to call a timeout.

The pause did little to slow her down. Grozer returned “unstoppable,” first with a decisive block for 20-17, and then with a powerful spike that extended the lead to 23-19. 

To cap off the set, Britte Stuut once again stepped forward and “put an end to the discussion,” sealing the momentum and the closing points for Schwerin (25-20).

A slightly better performance in attacking was crucial for the German side in this set (14 to 11 winning spikes).

Jet Kok grabbed the MVP award, recording as many as 20 points to her name. 

Pool A: Savino Del Bene Scandicci (ITA) vs CS Volei Alba Blaj (ROU) 3-0  (25–13, 25–21, 25–14)

Lindsey Ruddins, who led all scorers with 14 points, played with the poise of someone who knows what it feels like to stand on the biggest stage of club volleyball. Having reached the Final last season, she delivered the kind of opening performance that underlined Scandicci’s ambition to return to that stage. After the match, she reflected on the team’s mindset on Day 1:

“This was a good team, and they showed a lot of fight, and I think we showed that we really want to come out strong for the Champions League,” Ruddins added.

Her words matched the reality on court. Scandicci controlled the match from the service line to the block, registering 15 kill blocks to Blaj’s 2, and forcing the Romanians into uncomfortable attacking situations throughout the evening.

A tough return to Champions League life for Alba Blaj

For CS Volei Alba Blaj, the night marked their return to the Champions League after a one-year absence. This is their seventh appearance in the group phase, and the club arrived in Italy fresh off another deep European run - finishing as runners-up in last season’s CEV Cup. Under new head coach Guillermo Naranjo Hernández, who guided the team to a domestic double earlier this year, Blaj hoped to transfer their strong continental tradition back to Champions League level.

Their history in Europe is rich: the Romanians have reached the final of a European competition in five of the last seven completed seasons — including the 2017/18 Champions League Final. Yet the hunt for a first continental trophy continues, and Scandicci’s physicality proved a significant early barrier in this year’s campaign.

Despite the loss, Vittoria Alice PIANI battled with determination, leading Blaj with 16 points. The team showed strong stretches in the second set, but sustaining that rhythm against Scandicci’s block proved difficult.

Scandicci’s machine reactivates smoothly

The Italians entered this competition following back-to-back flawless group phases across the previous two seasons (12 wins, 0 losses, only two sets conceded) and a historic run to last year’s Final, where they became the first team ever to reach the title match without dropping a single set along the way.

Tonight, they looked every bit the team that has become a Champions League powerhouse.

Ekaterina Antropova - twice Scandicci’s top scorer in Europe and fresh off winning both the World Championship and the Volleyball Nations League with Italy - anchored the attack alongside Ruddins, while Maja Ognjenović continued to extend her remarkable Champions League journey. The Serbian setter, who made her first appearance in the competition back in 2002/03, once again orchestrated the offence with clarity and tempo.