Champions League: Big win for Warszawa against Kuzbass, Roeselare close to stun Modena

Verva Warszawa Orlen Paliwa achieved a bit surprising victory in the third day of Pool D in the 2021 CEV Volleyball Champions League which takes place in Roeselare (Belgium).
They defeated Russian giants of Kuzbass Kemerovo in straight sets, partially 25:22, 25:22, and 25:16, a result that awarded the team from the Polish capital second place in the table halfway to the pool stage.
In the match against the vice-leaders of the Russian Superliga, Warszawa were led in scoring by Bartosz Kwolek, author of 15 points, and in blocking by Michał Superlak (4).

Andrea Anastasi, head coach of Verva Warszawa Orlen Paliwa: “Our block was amazing today! First, we excluded Ivan Zaitsev from the game and then we blocked other players as well. I am very happy. We finish the tournament in Roeselare in the second place and we can still think about advancing to the next round of the CEV Champions League.”

Bartosz Kwolek, player of Verva Warszawa Orlen Paliwa: “We played great today. Kuzbass Kemerovo is a very good team, but today they couldn’t beat our block. Fans in Poland will surely remember it for a long time. I went back to the starting six after a short break and I am thrilled about it. I am glad that I could help my team achieve this spectacular victory.”

Angel Trinidad De Haro, player of Verva Warszawa Orlen Paliwa: “This 3-0 victory was the perfect way to finish this tournament. It’s a tough system with three games in three days. Today we made the difference with our blocking and good serving. For me personnally it was great to be back in Roeselare. They were my family for three years and I still have a lot of friends here. It was sad not to see and meet them in the hall but I understand that this was not possible in the current situation.”

On the other match, hosts Knack Roeselare were on the verge of upsetting Italian powerhouse Leo Shoes Modena. They had 2-1 in sets and 3-4 points of advantage for most of the fourth set. Ultimately, it was 3-2 for the SuperLega side, who finished the tournament at the top spot with all three wins, gaining an upper hand for the second tournament of Pool D, which they will host on February 9-11, 2021.
With 20 points, Daniele Lavia top-scored Modena while the Frenchman Jénia Grebennikov had 82 % reception (47 % excellent).

Andrea Giani, head coach of Leo Shoes Modena: “This was the last match in three days. Knack Roeselare played very well. After the third set, I changed some players because I have to work with all my players. My team stayed focussed, played with a lot of energy and finally we took the victory. Three matches, three victories, we think we can already dream about the next round.”

Mathijs Desmet, player of Knack Roeselare: “The past three days were a fantastic experience for me and for my team Knack Roeselare. In the Belgian competition we don’t meet teams like Modena or Warszawa and Kemerovo. Personnally, I am very satisfied with my match of today. We were all very focussed and eager to bring a very good performance. We were a few times unlucky in the previous matches at the end of some sets. But today, we used all the energy that was still in our bodies. It’s just a pity that we didn’t win this last match.”