Zawiercie vs Perugia again: #CLVolleyM final rematch confirmed

Just like last year, the #CLVolleyM final will feature Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia. The Polish champions came out on top in the second semifinal of the day at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, beating 3-1 Ziraat Bankkart Ankara and will now face the defending champions on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s final. Zawiercie will be hoping to gain revenge for that defeat and claim the first European title in the club’s history. While Ziraat Bankkart Ankara and PGE Projekt Warszawa will face each other in Sunday’s bronze-medal match.

Aluron CMC Warta ZAWIERCIE - Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA 3-1 (25-19, 24-26, 25-19, 25-19)

The semifinal clash between last year’s #CLVolleyM runners-up Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and Ziraat Bankkart Ankara began nervously, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm early on, particularly from the service line. Zawiercie, however, soon settled into the match and began to take control thanks to strong work at the net. Two killing blocks from Jurij Gladyr helped the Polish side move ahead 9-5. Step by step, Ankara managed to reduce the deficit to 11-8, largely through the efforts of Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who scored 5 points in the opening set. Still, Ankara found it difficult to contain Zawiercie’s balanced attack. Aaron Russell led the way with 5 points, while Bartosz Kwolek added 3 as the Polish champions stretched their advantage to 20-15. An ace from Tavares pushed the lead further to 22-16 before Russell closed the set with a spike for 25-19.

Strong attacks from Nimir Abdel-Aziz and Tomasz Fornal helped Ziraat Bankkart Ankara race to an early 3-0 lead in the second set. Although Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie struggled at the start, the Polish side gradually found their rhythm and, with Jurij Gladyr serving, not only levelled the score but also moved ahead 8-7. Ankara quickly responded, however, with Fornal (4 points) and Abdel-Aziz leading the charge as the Turkish side regained control at 12-9. Whenever Zawiercie threatened to close the gap, the Dutch opposite delivered again, helping Ankara extend their advantage to 18-13. Despite trailing 20-16, Zawiercie mounted an impressive comeback sparked by powerful service runs from Miguel Tavares and Mateusz Bieniek. The Polish side eventually earned a set point at 24-23, but a spectacular rally went Ankara’s way to deny them the chance to close the set. That moment shifted the momentum completely. With Abdel-Aziz dominating from the service line and finishing the decisive attack himself, Ankara completed the turnaround to take the set 26-24. The Dutch star finished the set with 10 points, including 9 kills.

The fierce battle for every point continued at the start of the third set. Ziraat Bankkart Ankara were the first to gain a slight edge at 9-7, but Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie responded immediately with Miguel Tavares at the service line. From that point on, neither side was able to break away for long. Every attempt to build a lead was quickly answered by the oponent all the way to 19-19. Then Mateusz Bieniek stepped up for Zawiercie. With the Polish middle blocker serving, his team not only moved ahead but also finished the set strongly, claiming it 25-19. Zawiercie’s block (Bartosz Kwolek and Kyle Ensing) proved decisive in the closing stages, shutting down Ankara’s attack at key moments to restore their lead in the match.

Just one set away from a place in the dream final, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie took an early 5-3 lead in the fourth set. Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, however, stayed close and continued fighting to keep their hopes alive, levelling the score at 8-8. The team coached by Michał Winiarski then found momentum with captain Mateusz Bieniek at the service line, taking a 13-9 advantage. Ankara refused to surrender, though, and with Bedirhan Bülbül serving and Nimir Abdel-Aziz leading the attack, the Turkish side quickly reduced the gap to 13-12. Strong attacks from Aaron Russell and a solid collective effort helped Zawiercie regain control and move ahead 17-13. From there, the Polish champions managed the advantage confidently despite Ankara’s late push, eventually closing the set 25-19 after Bartosz Kwolek's spike to book a place in their second consecutive #CLVolleyM final.

Aaron Russell led the way for Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie with 16 points, including 14 kills at 45% attacking efficiency and two blocks. He was followed by Bartosz Kwolek, who added 13 points. Jurii Gladyr made a major impact at the net, scoring five times with the block as Zawiercie finished the match with 11 kill blocks overall. For Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, Nimir Abdel-Aziz topped the scoring charts with 27 points.