Winning Starts for Lüneburg, Warszawa and Defending Champions Perugia in #CLVolleyM Pool Play

It was a night defined by strong home performances across Europe as SVG Lüneburg, PGE Projekt Warszawa, and defending champions Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia all opened their #CLVolleyM campaigns with victories. Lüneburg overcame Sporting CP Lisboa in four sets behind an outstanding MVP display from Daniel Gruvaeus; Projekt Warszawa controlled the net to sweep Leuven with a commanding block advantage; and Perugia, after dropping a tight first set, restored their rhythm to secure a win over Lvi Praha in their Pool C debut. Three matches, three different stories — but all marked by high-level execution and early statements in the 2025/26 Champions League season.

Pool D: SVG LÜNEBURG (GER) vs. Sporting CP LISBOA (POR) 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23)

In the second match of Pool D on Wednesday night, SVG Lüneburg hosted #CLVolleyM newcomers Sporting CP Lisboa at the LKH Arena Lüneburg. The game opened with a successful spike from Daniel Gruvaeus, who quickly emerged as the key player of the set. With Gruvaeus at the service line, the hosts set the tone early (4–1) and continued to dominate in all elements, extending their lead to 8–3. Gruvaeus was a scoring machine, shining brightly in attack and tallying 7 points in the opener. Sporting CP Lisboa attempted to respond - highlighted by an ace from Kelton Semedo Tavares (11–8) - but it wasn't enough to slow down the unstoppable home side. Energized by their loud supporters, Lüneburg restored a comfortable advantage at 18–12. Edson Valencia Gonzalez tried to spark Sporting CP, but the visitors couldn't find an answer to Lüneburg's excellent play. The hosts closed the set 25–18 with a block from Joscha Kunstmann, Lüneburg's second-best scorer of the set with 4 points.

The second set had a more competitive beginning, with Edson Alberto Valencia Gonzalez and Lourenço Martins stepping up as Sporting CP Lisboa's early leaders and keeping pace with the hosts. An ace from Sergey Grankin brought the score level at 6–6, but Lüneburg soon began to rebuild their advantage. Gruvaeus added an ace of his own to push the score to 13–10, and strong performances from Axel Enlund and Ethan Champlin - both scoring 5 points in the set - helped Lüneburg maintain a confident lead (18–14). In the decisive phase of the set, Gruvaeus (6 points in the second set) once again took control from the service line, widening the gap to 23–17. The set was ultimately sealed at 25–19 after a missed serve from Mads Jensen.

Although Lüneburg started the set with a 5–2 lead, it was Sporting CP Lisboa, with Sergey Grankin on serve, who began to dictate play, taking a 7–5 advantage. Lüneburg quickly responded to tie at 7–7, but an ace from Kelton Semedo Tavares pushed the visitors back in front at 9–7. Strong performances from Valencia Gonzalez (7 points in the set) and Martins (4 points), combined with serve runs from Grankin and Jan Galabov, helped Lisboa build an impressive 17–13 lead. Lüneburg immediately fought back, powered by Ethan Champlin in attack and Axel Enlund on serve, closing the gap to 16–17. After a tight exchange, Lisboa regained a 23–21 lead after Valencia Gonzalez's spike, putting them close to taking the set. However, under pressure, the visitors began committing errors, allowing Lüneburg to level at 23–23. Two brilliant plays from Martins finally sealed the set for Lisboa at 25–23.

A tight, point-by-point battle opened the fourth set, with both teams showcasing their best volleyball. A powerful attack from Gruvaeus followed by a block from Enlund pushed Lüneburg ahead 10–8. Moments later, back-to-back aces from none other than Gruvaeus - the standout performer of the night - extended the lead to 13–9. With this advantage and strong serving pressure, Lüneburg once again played with confidence (16–12). But Sporting CP Lisboa had no intention of giving up. An ace from Martins injected energy into the visitors, who continued to chase the score, led by the reliable duo of Valencia Gonzalez and Martins. Their persistence paid off as they eventually leveled the set at 20–20, raising the tension in the arena. A clutch attack from Champlin moved the hosts to a 24–22 lead, earning two long-awaited match points. Although Lüneburg missed the first opportunity, a missed serve from Lisboa closed the match in the hosts' favour.

Daniel Gruvaeus, who shared top-scoring honours with Lisboa's Edson Valencia Gonzalez at 20 points, was named MVP. 

Pool C: Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA (ITA) vs. VK Lvi PRAHA (CZE) 3-1 (24–26, 25–18, 25–18, 25–19)

Defending champions Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia opened their 2025/26 CEV Champions League Volley campaign with a composed 3–1 victory over VK Lvi Praha on Wednesday evening at Pala Barton. After a shaky first set, the Italians restored control and displayed the depth, balance, and experience that have defined their recent European success.

Praha made a strong first impression by stealing the opening set in extra points, pushed forward by the sharp attacking display of opposite David Kollátor. The Czech standout finished as the match’s top scorer with 20 points, including 19 winning spikes at an impressive 61% efficiency, keeping his team competitive throughout the evening.

Perugia regrouped quickly. With Simone Giannelli accelerating the tempo and redistributing the offence, the hosts tightened their block-defence and improved their side-out rhythm. Kamil Semeniuk emerged as their most stable scoring option, delivering 18 points (15 spikes, 1 block, 2 aces) with a 50% success rate. Perugia’s middle blockers added key contributions as well, helping the home side outblock Praha 12–7 on the night.

Sets two and three saw Perugia shift into their familiar shape: aggressive serving, disciplined block positioning, and efficient transition. Praha continued to battle—particularly through Kollátor and outside hitter Jiri Benda—but struggled to consistently break Perugia’s structure, especially as the Italian champions improved in reception and first-ball side-out.

The fourth set followed the same trajectory, with Perugia maintaining control and closing the match confidently at 25–19, sealing a strong opening victory in Pool C. The hosts finished with 99 total points to Praha’s 81, extending their remarkable record in Champions League group play—now 51 wins in 55 matches.

Perugia start their title defence with confidence, while Lvi Praha leave Italy with signs of progress and a standout performance from Kollátor to build upon as Pool C continues.

Pool E: PGE Projekt WARSZAWA (POL) vs. Volley Haasrode LEUVEN (BEL) 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20)

PGE Projekt WARSZAWA opened their CEV Champions League Volley Men Pool E campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Volley Haasrode LEUVEN on Wednesday evening, in front of a fully packed Torwar Hall.

The Polish side made the difference at the net, dominating the blocking battle 15-3, an element that proved decisive throughout the match.

The two teams met for the first time in the Champions League, with PGE Projekt WARSZAWA extending their perfect record against Belgian opponents in the competition. The win improved their tally from 6-0 to 7-0 in Champions League encounters with Belgian teams.

Ukrainian international Yurii Semeniuk was the standout performer. The middle blocker, who led the 2025 Volleyball Nations League in blocks with 37 kill blocks at an average of 3.08 per match, once again impressed at the highest level. He finished the match with six blocks, 42% efficiency in attack, and was named Most Valuable Player (12 points in total, one ace).

The opening set began nervously, with both teams trading points and committing a few unforced errors in the early stages. Leuven stayed close early on, helped by several solid defensive actions from their libero  Kobe Verwimp as the score stood at 5-4.

Momentum shifted when Yurii Semeniuk asserted himself at the net, giving the hosts an 8-5 lead and creating the first meaningful gap on the scoreboard. A powerful block by Warszawa’s Jan Firlej sparked a four-point run and forced Leuven into an early timeout at 12-9.

From that moment on, the Polish side found their rhythm. By winning long rallies and controlling the net with an effective blocking system, Warszawa increased their advantage to 16-12, while Leuven struggled with their own errors. The set was comfortably closed by the hosts, with Michal Kozlowski finishing strongly from the middle to seal the opener 25-17.

Leuven responded with much more aggression in the second set. Strong serving from Gildas Prevert and efficient attacking by Simon Peeters helped the Belgian side jump to a 5-1 lead. However, Warszawa reacted quickly, regrouping behind a dominant blocking display to turn the score around and take the lead at 8-6.

With confidence growing, the Polish team stayed firmly in control, extending their advantage to 10-6 and maintaining the pressure. Semeniuk continued to shine in all phases of the game, while Warszawa’s Bartosz Bednorz also made a strong impact in attack. The hosts managed the set without major difficulties, holding a steady lead at 17-13 and closing it out comfortably to move within one set of victory.

The third set followed a familiar pattern. After an even start at 2-2, Leuven once again edged ahead at 4-2, showing determination and refusing to give in. What followed was a point-for-point battle, with the visitors matching Warszawa’s intensity and keeping the score tight.

Warszawa eventually regained control at 14-11 and continued to protect their advantage at 16-13. Fittingly, the match was sealed at 25-20 with another emphatic block from Semeniuk, underlining his influence and marking a highlight moment in a dominant team performance.

Statistically, the hosts held the upper hand across key areas, dominating the blocking department 15-3, registering more aces (6-3), posting a higher rate of positive reception (48% to 33%), and capitalising more effectively on their opponents’ errors (26-17).