CLV Women 2021 Preview

With the CEV Champions League Volley 2021 fast approaching and 20 teams competing from several different national leagues, it can be tough to keep up with all the moving parts of professional volleyball. That's why we are sharing previews for every pool of the Champions League 4th round with the key transfers and the most important questions clubs are facing heading into the competition. Here it is for Pool C in the women's competition.

ASPTT Mulhouse VB (FRA)

In: Ivana Vanjak, OH (GER), Tessa Polder, MB (NED)  
Out: Carli Snyder, OH (USA)
Key Question: Can they compete in a stacked 4th round without any stars?

So far in the young French Ligue A season, ASPTT Mulhouse’s collection of young talent has performed well, staying near the top of the standings. However, with the increased physicality and competitiveness of the Champions League, it can be tough to excel without an experienced team. Mulhouse will once again rely on French rising star outside hitter Héléna Cazaute, who they managed to keep away from Italian and Turkish clubs. 

LKS Commercecon Łódź (POL)

In: Britt Bongaerts, S (NED), Kasia Zaroślińska-Krol, OPP (POL)
Out: Eva Mori, S (Slovenia) 
Key Question: Can Łódź gather full point wins against Mulhouse and Plovdiv?

LKS Commercecon Łódź is a team with a good amount of talent, including Polish national team middle blocker Klaudia Alagierska and Dutch national team setter Britt Bongaerts. But when you share a pool with VakifBank Istanbul, who has barely lost a match since last November, playing strongly against the other two teams will be key to qualifying for the quarterfinals. Łódź will need to play better than their 5-4 start in the Polish league suggests. 

VakifBank Istanbul (TUR)

In: N/A
Out: N/A
Key Question: Can VakifBank continue their dominant run from after Michelle Bartsch joined the team last season?

VakifBank Istanbul was one of the rare volleyball teams that decided to stay put this summer and return the exact same starting lineup as they did last year. And why should they change anything? After American outside hitter Michelle Bartsch-Hackley joined midway through the 2020-2021 season, VakifBank didn’t lose a single Champions League game. Giovanni Guidetti and the rest of the club are banking that the chemistry they had will continue to be just as effective and given the talent on this roster, it’s a good bet.

VC Maritza (BUL)

In: Petya Barakova, S (BUL), Jessica Aguilera, MB (CUB) 
Out: Jennifer Cross, MB (CAN), Lora Kitipova, S (BUL) 
Key Question: Is Aleksandra Milanova the next star outside hitter?

A Champions League staple over the past half-decade, Maritza Plovdiv have won the Bulgarian national league and cup every year since 2015, relying primarily on home-grown talent to get the job done. One of these players that is rapidly gaining recognition in the volleyball world is Aleksandra Milanova, who scored 86 points in the pool phase of last year’s competition at only 18 years old. Canadian middle blocker Jenn Cross has been a force at the net for Plovdiv the past two seasons, so the rest of the team will need to step up to fill in the gap.