IBB Polonia ready for third #CLVolleyM adventure
News
IBB Polonia LONDON and Shakhtior SOLIGORSK will be locking horns later this week in Belchatow in two matches scheduled for the 1st Round of the men’s CEV Champions League Volley 2022. The fixtures take place in Poland with the help and assistance provided by PGE Skra and the Polish Volleyball Federation in order to bypass travel restrictions in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the first year as a fully professional team for IBB Polonia – as previously half of the team was rather amateur. Their roster has undergone many changes since the 2020-2021 season and includes two players – Matias Banda Alvarez and Simon Guerra Uteau – who won bronze at this year’s South American Championship with the national team of Chile. Moreover, the group features as many as four home British players.
The matches in Poland coincide with the third Champions League appearance for IBB Polonia – last year they lost to eventual silver medal winners TRENTINO Itas of Italy.
Ephraim Mills“I am very excited to play our games in Belchatow. It is going to be an amazing experience to play in front of fans in such a famous hall. I expect the matches to be tough of course. The team we are playing are trying to win just as much as we are, so the competition will be fierce. However, I think we will perform well as long as we enjoy the game and do not allow any pressure to get to us."
Middle blocker of IBB Polonia LONDON
Shakhtior’s roster, on the other hand, includes only Belarusian players. The team has competed in Russian domestic competitions as well – even against top sides such as six-time #CLVolleyM winners Zenit KAZAN.