Fantastic Italo-Turkish clashes to highlight quarter-finals in #CLVolleyW

There were no surprises in the play-offs of the CEV Champions League Volley 2024 Women, with the two big favourites, VakifBank Istanbul and Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul, the sides which clashed in last season’s SuperFinals, progressed to the next phase of the competition, while Allianz MTV Stuttgart recorded two straight wins against fellow German side SC Potsdam, to set up a do-or-die clash against Fenerbahçe Opet Istanbul.

While five nations are represented in the quarter-finals of the men’s competition, four nations are featuring in the same phase of the women’s competition, with three Turkish sides, three Italian sides and one team from Germany and Poland still alive for the coveted trophy.

Reigning champions VakifBank Istanbul are keeping their dream of a three-peat alive, after two clear wins in straight sets against PGE Rysice Rzeszów. There was no hope of a comeback for the Polish side, with VakifBank taking a clear 25:12, 25:18, 25:23 win on their home court, setting up a mouthwatering clash against A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano in the quarter-finals.

The two sides have won five of the last six editions of the European premium competition, as this also will be the rematch of the SuperFinals in the 2021/22 season, when VakifBank went home with the trophy after a 3:1 win in Ljubljana.

While VakifBank lost one of the eight matches played so far, Conegliano are undefeated and have conceded only three sets on their path to winning Pool D in this season’s CEV Champions League Volley 2024 Women, as the doubleheader at the end of February will likely bring plenty of twists and turns.

Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul might have lost a set in the second leg against SC “Prometey” Dnipro, but the Turkish side looked totally in control of their destiny, after a 3:0 win in the first leg. After winning the first two sets of the second leg, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul conceded the third one, 23:25, but bounced back and took a 3:1 win, 25:16.

However, the ask looks tall for the Turkish powerhouse, which will face Savino Del Bene Scandicci in the quarter-finals. The two sides have also met in the Pool B this season, where Scandicci took two wins, 3:1 and 3:1, dominating the runners-up from last season, which will need to up their game.

The best team in Round 4, Fenerbahçe Opet Istanbul, the only one to have won their matches in six straight sets, have also found out their opponent, Allianz MTV Stuttgart. The German side, which lost a match in the Bundesliga against rivals SC Potsdam last weekend, bounced back and secured their second 3:0 win in less than one week, to eliminate Potsdam and make it to the quarter-finals in the European premium competition.

The only quarter-final which was already set up after Round 4 was the one between Italian side Allianz Vero Volley Milano and Polish side ŁKS Commercecon Łódź, with Milano big favourites, after winning five matches, including a showdown with VakifBank.

Six of the qualified teams for the quarter-finals were also in the same phase of the competition last season, with ŁKS Commercecon Łódź and Savino del Bene Scandicci being the only new names here.

The four quarter-finals will be played in a doubleheader system, with the teams boasting the best records at the end of Round 4 hosting the second leg. The dates of the matches will be confirmed, but the quarter-finals are due to be played in the last two weeks of February.