2025

Huber tops kill blocks standings with monster performance in 4th round of the #CLVolleyM

Feature

Article Sun, Feb 2 2025

The 4th round of the CEV Champions League Men is over and 11 teams have already secured safe passage to the knockout phase, with PGE Projekt Warszawa being the side with the best record.

Three Polish sides – Warszawa, Jastrzębski Węgiel and Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie – and two Italian teams - Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia and Mint Vero Volley Monza – have won their pools, with two German sides, and one side from Italy, Greece, Türkiye and France each making the play-offs.

But after 60 matches, which are the top performers in the competition? Which players have stood out in key fashion for their teams helping their sides achieve their objectives? 

The last metric analysed is the most kill blocks managed by a single player and the leader in this category is a true star, Jastrzębski Węgiel’s Norbert Huber.

The 26-year-old Polish middle blocker dominated the stats and was key in his side’s sweep of their opponents. Not only Huber managed 21 kill blocks throughout the 4th round, he also finished this part of the season with 58 points, becoming a key ingredient for the Polish side’s success.

While Jastrzębski Węgiel finished only third in the pool winners’ standings, the Polish side are surely one of the contenders for the title this season, after losing the last act in the previous two, and Huber will play a big part, provided his excellent form will continue from the quarter-finals onwards.

Huber was followed in the top kill blocks standings by Levski Sofia’s Svetoslav Gotsev. Aged 34, Gotsev has been a true journeyman, but returned to Bulgaria and has delivered an excellent season for his position, with 17 kill blocks. Unfortunately, Levski are out of the competition, having won a single match and securing only six sets in six matches.

The podium was completed by Ahmet Samet Baltaci, from Fenerbahçe, who had 16 blocks. The Turkish side, which made a last-ditch attempt to secure a place in the play-offs, missed out on a spot, after conceding a 2:3 loss against Olympiacos and will head to the CEV Cup.

Mint Vero Volley Monza’s Taylor Averill (15 blocks) and PGE Projekt Warszawa’s Jakub Kochanowski (14 blocks) completed the top-5, in what was a fierce battle in this category, with some excellent performances from middle blockers in this season of the European premium competition.

#CLVolleyM