CLVolleyW: Favourites hoping to line up for trophy honours
Hours before the first referee whistle in the 2023/2024 CEV Champions League Volley - Women, the excitment is growing. While the fans are already looking forward to enjoying some spectacular plays of the biggest Volleyball show on the European club stage, the teams are entering the new #CLVolleyW facing new challenges and with the hopes of arriving as close as possible to the trophy.
Watch the best CLVolleyW teams fighting for the trophy here.
Pool A
The undoubted leaders and trophy hopefuls in Pool A are the back-to-back champions of VakifBank Istanbul. The Turkish powerhouse can become the first women’s team to win the CEV Champions League three times in a row. Furthermore, they are the ultimate leaders when it comes to winning the CLVolleyW: they have done so a record six times, two more than any other team. One of the teams showing the most steady performance during the years, VakifBank have also reached the semi-finals of the CEV Champions League in the past 10 years. The Turkish have been counting on the competition’s top scorers in the past three editions - Isabelle Haak in 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, and Paola Egonu in 2022/2023. Although none of these two athletes are in the team in this season, the hopes of the defending champions to claim yet another trophy are more than high.
The other big contender in Pool A, Allianz Vero Volley Milano, have also set their eyes on the trophy. Having made a couple of strong transfers in the summer, the most remarkable one for sure is the signing with international Volleyball star Paola Egonu. Wherever the opposite is, the expectations, and thus the hopes, are high. It remains to be seen if the goals set will be achieved as this will be the third time the Italian squad takes part in the Europe’s top competition, as in their two previous participations, they reached the quarter-finals.
Pool B
The big favourite in the group are Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul. The team from the Istanbul was close to gaining the gold in 2022/2023, but was stopped by the titleholders of VakifBank Istanbul in the SuperFinalsTurin. The last time that Eczacibasi won the CLVolleyW was in 2014/2015, and the fans of the team are certain it was high time for the trophy to get back to Burhan Felek Voleybol Salonu, where the team hosts their home matches. Eczacibasi’s biggest star, Tijana Boskovic joined them in 2015 and is yet to lift the Champions League cup. One of the best female players of modern Volleyball, Boskovic could lead Eczacibasi towards the title.
The Italians of Savino Del Bene Scandicci also could hope for the trophy in what will be their fourth participation in the CLVolleyW. Their best result so far is reaching the the quarter-finals, but this time around, the team has set the expectations high. Counting on a new setter, the experienced Maja Ognjenovic, and stars like Ekaterina Antropova and Zhu Ting, the Italians might very well be a surprise in this year’s edition of the competition.
Pool C
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Fenerbahçe Opet Istanbul is the Pool C team that can wish for the trophy. The Turkish have won the competition back in 2010/2011, but having a look at the most recent editions of the tournament (2021/2022 and 2022/2023), they have reached the semi-finals, reminding the Volleyball community of their big potential. In both cases, they were even close to eliminate their city rivals of VakifBank, but lost after golden set.
Pool D
One of the world’s hegemons, the Italians of A. Carraro Imoco CONEGLIANO will enter this year’s Champions League stage with the hopes of winning back the trophy as they couldn’t defend their last title, won in 2020/2021. The team, that has taken part in four of the last six finals of the competition, recorded in 2022/2023 their worst performance (the worst previous one was reaching the Playoffs 12 in their debut season in 2013/2014). In the last edition of the CLVolleyW, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. If they want to keep alive their hopes of returning to the top position, the Italians, who stared the season on a positive note by winning the Italian Supercup, will have to overcome the Turkish challenge - as they are on a 33 wins - two losses record in their last 35 matches in the CEV Champions League, with the only losses coming against Turkish opposition.
Pool E
Without a big favourite in the group, and with no powerhouse that could dominate in all the games, Pool E seems to be a very balanced one. CS Volei Alba BLAJ, ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ, SC "Prometey" DNIPRO and Volero LE CANNET will for sure give their best to entertain the Volleyball fans in the halls and in front the of the TV. Even if their chances of lifting the trophy are not quite high, each one of them will hope for getting as close to the title as possible.
Which team’s hopes will be fulfilled at the end of the season?