CEV Cup: Hebar Pazardhik and Dukla Liberec to 1/8 finals

VK Dukla Liberec from Czech Republic stun with a clear 3-0 (25:21, 25:19, 25:18) austrian champioms SK Zadruga AICH/DOB in their second match of CEV Cup 1/16 finals, to secure a spot in the 8th Finals after losing their previous matchup in Bleiburg at the tiebreak. Their next opponent in the competition will be Stroitel Minsk from Belarus. Middle blocker Simon Krajcovic and opposite Jan Stokr were the most prolific players for the winners, scoring 14 and 13 points respectively while Maximilian Landfahrer and Daniel de Souza Maciel registered 10 points each for AICH/DOB.

Martin Micheu, Sports Manager at Zadruga AICH/DOB: “I cannot believe what happened today. The players were emotionless and they did not seem to put up a fight. There was no team spirit. We actually had a good chance of making it to the next round. I have no explanation for what has happened and I am shocked. It will take a few days to process that, and it will be difficult to go back to business after this performance.”

In the other match of the day, Bulgaria’s Hebar Pazardzhik did not drop a single set in their two consecutive matches against Albania’s Erzeni Shijakut to qualify for the 8th Finals.
On Tuesday, they stormed to a clear 3-0 (25:18, 25:21, 25:17) victory in their first international match this season. The hosts delivered a truly impressive performance and Bradley Gunter top scored with 17 points, followed by the experienced Todor Aleksiev and Teodor Todorov with 15 and 12, respectively. Even 20 points scored by Asmend Kula could not change the course of the game in favour of Erzeni.
Some 24 hours later, Hebar secured their spot in the next round, im a truly historic feat for the Bulgarian team, as they claimed another another easy 3-0 victory (25:11, 25:20, 25:9) in their second match against the same team, with Bradley Gunter top scoring again with 14 points. Both matches held at the Vasil Levski sports hall in Pazardzhik did not feature any fans because of the restrictions in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In the next round, Hebar will be playing Russia’s heavyweight Zenit Saint Petersburg.

📌| CEV CUP | 1/16 finals

🗓| November 12
Mladost Zagreb — Montpellier 1-3 (19:25, 25:22, 25:27, 15:25)

🗓| November 17
in Pazardjik | Erzeni Shijakut – Hebar Pazardhik 0-3 (18:25, 21:25, 17:25)
SK Zadruga Aich/Dob – VK Dukla Liberec 3-2 (25:21, 25:19, 24:26, 19:25, 15:13)

🗓| November 18

Hebar Pazardhik — Erzeni Shijakut 3-0 (25:11, 25:20, 25:9)
Top Scorers: Gunter 14, Kartev 12, Bayrev 9; Kula 12.

In Bleiburg | VK Dukla Liberec — SK Zadruga AICH/DOB 3-0 (25:21, 25:19, 25:18)
Top Scorers: Krajcovic 14, Stokr 13, Sulista 8; Daniel De Souza Maciel 10, Landfahrer 10.

🗓| November 19
CSM Arcada Galati — Montana

🗓| November 24
Montana – CSM Arcada Galati

Ford Levoranta Sastamala (forfeit) — Amysoft Lycurgus Groningen 0-3
OK Vojvodina Seme Novi Sad — Chenois Geneve (forfeit) 3-0
IBB Polonia London — Volejbal Brno (forfeit) 3-0
Shakhtior Soligorsk (forfeit) — OK Nis 0-3
Lindaren Volley Amriswil (forfeit) – Zenit Saint Petersburg 0-3
Stroitel Minsk – Volley Schonenwed (forfeit) 3-0
Draisma Dynamo Apeldoorn (forfeit) — Spor Toto 0-3
OK Ribola Kastela (forfeit) — Galatasaray HDI Istanbul 0-3
Dinamo Moscow — Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (forfeit) 3-0
VC Greenyard Maaseik — Chaumont VB 52 (forfeit) 3-0
Neftochimik Burgas (forfeit) — Mladi Radnik Pozarevac 0-3
Fino Kaposvar VC (forfeit) — CV Guaguas Las Palmas 0-3