Zeren Spor stun SCHWERIN to play titleholders in #CLVolleyW quarterfinals
News
Rookies ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü have progressed to the quarterfinals of the #CLVolleyW following a comprehensive 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-14) victory over German national champions SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN in the return leg of the Playoff Round. They will be playing titleholders A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO of Italy for a spot in the Final Four – thereby adding another chapter to a rivalry that started already in the pool stage earlier this season.
ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü (TUR) vs SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN (GER) 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-14)
With some 1,812 fans in attendance, Zeren Spor broke away halfway through the opening set with a series of three straight points to eventually secure a 25-16 win. The hosts showed that same momentum in the early stages of the second set (5-0) and even though SCHWERIN worked hard to mount a comeback, Zeren looked in full control (17-10) and with their 25-18 second-set win combined with a 3-1 victory away from home last week, the team from the Turkish capital city pocketed their ticket to the quarterfinals. The third set was a formality – SCHWERIN started with an ace but Zeren Spor responded swiftly to lead 7-2. Anna Lazareva – MVP of the match on a personal tally of 16 points including three aces and three blocks – helped the home side seal a 3-0 victory.
Anna Lazareva“I am very happy for the team and for the club. This is a great result for us. Achievements like this are very important, as they become part of the club’s history and of our own journey as well. We are really happy to continue moving forward and to keep winning. About our next opponent, CONEGLIANO, we are happy to play against them again. It is another chance to show ourselves and to play high-level Volleyball. I am very excited for this challenge.”
MVP and top scorer of Zeren Spor
Stevan Ljubicic, head coach of Zeren: “From the very first match, considering this is our first experience in European competitions, not only in the Champions League, I believe we have played very good Volleyball. That makes me extremely proud. Tonight’s victory is the result of hard work and much dedication from everyone in the team. For me, the whole team is the MVP. I am proud of what they have done this season, both in European competitions and in the domestic league. Honestly, this is even more than I expected at the beginning of the season. Once again, congratulations to my players, and best of luck for the next stage.”
Felix Koslowski, head coach of SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN: “First of all, congratulations to Zeren Spor. They played an amazing match today. The firepower of Anna Lazareva and Aleksandra Uzelac was simply too much to stand for us. At certain moments, they were unstoppable. Because of that, the pressure on our side became very high, especially in attack and reception. We are a young team, and unfortunately, we could not handle that pressure the way we wanted. Therefore, I believe it is a well-deserved victory for Zeren Spor. They deserve to be in the quarterfinals. I am curious to see if they can show the same level against CONEGLIANO. I would also love to see them playing with this lineup in the Turkish league, but I understand there are certain limitations.”