Ziraat in control, Berlin and Bogdanka prevail in five-set thrillers
Recap
Three matches in the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 | Men delivered a full night of top-class volleyball on Thursday, with 13 sets played across Ljubljana, Prague and Roeselare. Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA cruised to a straight-sets win against ACH Volley LJUBLJANA, while Bogdanka LUK LUBLIN and BERLIN Recycling Volleys both needed five sets to secure dramatic away victories over Knack ROESELARE and VK Lvi PRAHA, respectively.
Pool A – ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) vs Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA (TUR) 0-3
(22-25, 15-25, 20-25)
Ziraat Bankkart Ankara delivered an impressive and convincing straight-sets victory in Ljubljana, overpowering hosts ACH Volley with a dominant performance from start to finish.
The Turkish champions controlled the opening set from the outset, dictating the tempo and maintaining the initiative throughout. Ziraat led 16-13 and 21-16 before closing the set 25-22. Nimir Abdel-Aziz and Tomasz Fornal (1 ace) contributed six points each, while Tonček Štern led ACH Volley with eight points (1 ace, 1 block).
Ziraat’s dominance continued in the second set, where the visitors quickly built a commanding lead. Ankara surged ahead 5-0, 7-1 and 11-3, leaving the home side with little room to respond. The gap widened to 20-8 before Ziraat sealed the set 25-15 for a 2-0 advantage. Abdel-Aziz scored six points in the set, including three aces, while Fornal added five points with three blocks. Klemen Sen scored three points for ACH Volley.
The third set finally saw a more competitive display from ACH Volley, who found their rhythm and stayed level with the visitors for much of the set. The home team held brief leads at 8-6 and 15-13, but Ziraat responded decisively, turning the score around to 16-15 and later 21-18. Ankara allowed ACH Volley just two more points before closing the match 25-20 and securing a maximum victory.
Ziraat Bankkart setter Murat Yenipazar was named MVP of the match. Although he scored only two points, Yenipazar expertly orchestrated the Turkish side’s offense. His distribution was capitalized on most effectively by Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who finished with 21 points (4 aces, 1 block, 59% attack efficiency), and Tomasz Fornal, who added 15 points (3 aces, 3 blocks).
For ACH Volley Ljubljana, Tonček Štern was the top scorer with 16 points (1 ace, 1 block, 47% attack), while Klemen Sen contributed 11 points (1 ace).
Murat Yenipazar“We are extremely satisfied. Even before the match I said that our goal was to play good Volleyball, and we achieved that. It was a very good match for us, and we hope to play even better in the next one,”
MVP of the match, setter of Ziraat Bankkart Ankara
Pool B: Knack ROESELARE (BEL) vs. Bogdanka LUK LUBLIN (POL) 2-3 (25-15, 20-25, 25-23, 20-25, 12-15)
Bogdanka LUK Lublin recorded their second consecutive Champions League victory, edging Knack Roeselare in a gripping five-set encounter. The Belgian side, meanwhile, extended their difficult run against Polish teams, suffering a 15th defeat in as many encounters.
Knack made a flying start, completely surprising the visitors in the opening set. The hosts raced to leads of 8-1, 16-7 and 21-13, closing the set convincingly at 25-15. Erik Siksna (6 points) and Basil Dermaux (5) led the way, with Knack posting 64% positive reception and four blocks, while Bogdanka struggled, recording 10 errors and no blocks.
Bogdanka responded strongly in the second set, justifying their favourites’ tag. After a balanced opening, the Polish side pulled away to 16-14 and then 21-15, sealing the set 25-20. Mateusz Malinowski scored 6 points and Hilir Henno added 4, while Dermaux contributed 8 points for Knack.
The third set proved crucial and fiercely contested. With both teams raising the intensity, Bogdanka held a slim edge until Knack turned the tide late on. Strong serves by Siksna helped the hosts move from 19-19 to 23-21. Despite a response from Kewin Sasak, Siksna delivered two set points, and Pieter Coolman converted the second for 25-23 and a 2-1 lead. Dermaux added another 6 points for Knack (including an ace and 71% attack efficiency), while Henno (5 points) and Wilfredo Leon (4 points, 3 aces) stood out for Bogdanka.
Bogdanka took control in the fourth set, leading throughout at 10-6, 15-10 and 20-15. Knack briefly closed the gap to 20-17, but the visitors finished strong to take the set 25-20 and force a decider.
The tie-break was tense and finely balanced. Knack initially held a narrow advantage at 8-6 and 9-6, but an ace from Henno and a point from Leon levelled the score at 10-10. Bogdanka edged ahead again, Leon proving decisive late on as the Polish side moved to 14-12 before sealing the match with a triple block for 15-12 and a 3-2 victory.
Mateusz Malinowski was named MVP, finishing with 16 points (1 ace, 63% attack). Wilfredo Leon was Bogdanka’s top scorer with 17 points (3 aces, 1 block). For Knack, Basil Dermaux delivered an outstanding performance with 31 points (1 ace, 2 blocks, 60% positive reception, 62% attack).
Mateusz Malinowski“We had many problems, especially in reception, and in the first set we simply didn’t show up. We started playing only from the second set and had to fight hard. Knack played really well and it stayed very close until the end, but thanks to our composure in the decisive moments we managed to secure the win.”
MVP of the match, Bogdanka Luk Lublin opposite
BERLIN Recycling Volleys edged a thrilling five-set battle against VK Lvi PRAHA in Pool C of the CEV Champions League, claiming a 3-2 victory after 129 minutes of high-intensity volleyball in Prague.
Played in front of a lively crowd at Arena Sparta Podvinny Mlyn, the match was a true point-for-point contest, with momentum constantly shifting and neither side willing to give an inch. The opening set set the tone, narrowly going Berlin’s way at 28-26, before the hosts responded confidently to level the match. Berlin regained control in the third, only for Lvi PRAHA to force a decisive tie-break with a strong fourth set performance.
The fifth set proved to be the defining moment, as Berlin found the crucial break points at the right time to pull away and seal the win 15-9, underlining their experience in the competition.
Jake Hanes was once again at the heart of Berlin’s success. The opposite finished with a match-high 25 points and was deservedly named MVP, while VK Lvi PRAHA were led by David Kollator (23 points) and Jiri Benda (20 points), who kept the home side in contention until the very end.
Despite the loss, VK Lvi PRAHA showed why they belong at this level, pushing one of Europe’s most consistent teams to the very last point in a match that was as dramatic as it was entertaining.
Jake Hanes“It was a really hard fight. These guys are very talented and very smart, and they had a great home crowd, so it was really fun. Our pool is loaded, so we just want to take it one game at a time and hopefully be in a good place come the playoffs.”
Player of BERLIN Recycling Volleys
Matthew Knigge“We saw what Prague did against Perugia, so we knew this would be a tough Champions League match. We came with 12 players after a demanding few weeks and had to push ourselves to build momentum. Three sets were extremely close, and in moments like that you must play cleanly and take your chances at crunch time. That’s exactly what we’ll need again against Perugia.”
Player of Berlin Recycling Volleys
Lucas Conde“I think we did a great job for long periods, but it was unlucky for us. We didn’t win the match, but we won one important point for the group. Now we have to build on this and try to do even better in the next match.”
Player of VK Lvi PRAHA