Champions League: good day for Polish teams, bad day for Belgian teams

Three matches of 2022 CEV Volleyball Champions League were played on Tuesday. Polish teams had a perfect day, as Jastrzębski Węgiel and Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle celebrated victories in their respective Pool, while Knack Roeselare and VC Greenyard Maaseik from Belgium were defeated (both matches in Belgium were played behind closed door).

In Pool A, Jastrzębski Węgiel swept Belgium’s Knack Roeselare on the road, reaching 2-0. Tomasz Fornal with 16 points was top scorer of the match, while Frenchman Trévor Clevenot was named MVP of the match.

Trévor Clevenot, Match MVP: “We knew that is was going to be a tough match. Knack Roeselare is a strong team and at the start of every set, they put a high pressure on us. Set 3 was even a closer set, but finally our experience made the difference. We are very happy with the three points that we can take home.”

Steven Vanmedegael, Head coach KNACK Roeselare: “I am a bit disappointed because we made too many errors, especially in serving. But of course, Jastrzebski Wegiel is a very strong team. The last set was really close. We could increase our level during the course of the match, but it was not sufficient. We look forward to the next matches in Pool A. Second place in our pool stays our goal.”

VC Greenyard Maaseik succumbed to Russia’s Dinamo Moscow in Pool B with a score of 0-3 (20:25, 22:25, 18:25). Sokolov was the top scorer of the match with 14 points, while Podlesnykh tallied one less and was named MVP.

Konstantin Briianski, head coach of Dinamo Moscow: “We are really happy that we won today. It’s a big step, because from game to game we grow up and every step is important in this process. We were focused on our game, because ahead of us many matches also in the Russian league and Russian Cup.”

Joel Banks, head coach of VC Greenyard Maaseik: “I think that if you look at the game it’s a logical result. I think we played a pretty good game. There were moments when we played well and moments when we played as well as they let us to play. So I think we gave our best, sometimes it was enough, another times we came up a little bit too short. 3-0 is a correct result. I’m not disappointed in the performance, but I hoped to play a little bit longer.”

Lauri Kerminen, libero of Dinamo Moscow: “It was not an easy win, it never is. We were well-prepared, we watched videos how they play two times. First set was a pretty tough we won 25-20, so it was definitely not easy game.”

Polish side Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle achieved a major victory in the second round of the group stage of the competition.
In Pool C, Gheorghe Crețu’s players, the titleholders, defeated Lokomotiv Novosibirsk after a 24-hour journey to Siberia.
ZAKSA prevailed in four sets over Russian bronze-medalists and are now at two out of two in the pool. Surprisingly, the rivals are at 0-2! Łukasz Kaczmarek scored 23 points for the PlusLiga vice-champions and was named MVP of the match, while Marcin Janusz served four aces. Luburić was a top scorer of Lokomotiv with 16.

Aleksander Śliwka, captain of Grupa Azoty Zaksa Kędzierzyn Koźle: “We had a long journey to Novosibirsk and we had to switch time zone, so it was not easy for us, but we came here three days before the game to adjust and to feel more comfortable. The atmosphere here was very good and it was a pleasure to play here, this new hall is amazing. We are happy that we got three-point win. The game was really tough, because Novosibirsk is a very good team. We could win it with bigger margin, but Novosibirsk fought hard and it was really hard to get these three points.”

Pavel Kruglov, captain of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk: “It was the first home game of the Champions League 2022 for us at the arena and atmosphere was great. It’s a pity that we lost the match. But it proved again that you need to start playing from the very first balls in any set, from the score 0-0. Today we only did it in the second set, in others we let the opponent to run ahead with 3-4 points. In the endings, like superheroes we tried to win, but this was not enough. It gave us a good lesson. Kedzierzyn-Kozle made few mistakes, practically nothing.”

Plamen Konstantinov, head coach of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk: “Unfortunately, we didn’t win this game, but I guess that this match turned out to be interesting for the fans. In the endings of the most difficult sets, we couldn’t cope with the tension. Of course, there is a certain problem with the starting line up, not all of the players felt well. It doesn’t matter now, we only see the result.”

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🏐| CEV Champions League 2021/22 – Pool Stage – Day 2 First Leg

🏐| POOL A

👉🏼 December 14, 2021
• Knack Roeselare (BEL) – Jastrzebski Wegiel (POL) 0-3 (18:25, 20:25, 23:25)

| December 16, 2021
• Hebar Pazardzhik (BUL) – VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) 3-2 (25:13, 18:25, 22:25, 25:11, 15:12)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Jastrzebski Wegiel (POL) 6
Knack Roeselare (BEL) 2
VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) 1
Hebar Pazardzhik (BUL) 0

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🏐| POOL B

👉🏼 December 14, 2021
• VC Greenyard Maaseik (BEL) – Dinamo Moscow (RUS) 0-3 (20:25, 22:25, 18:25)

| December 15, 2021
• Projekt Warszawa (POL) – Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (TUR) 1-3 (21:25, 25:21, 18:25, 21:25)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Dinamo Moscow (RUS) 5
Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (TUR) 3
Projekt Warszawa (POL) 1
VC Greenyard Maaseik (BEL) 0

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🏐| POOL C

👉🏼 December 14, 2021
• Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (RUS) – Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle (POL) 1-3 (19:25, 25:21, 24:26, 23:25)

| December 15, 2021
• OK Merkur Maribor (SLO) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) 0-3 (18:25, 16:25, 24:26)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Grupa Azoty Kędzierdzyn-Kozle (POL) 6
Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) 3
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (RUS)
OK Merkur Maribor (SLO)

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🏐| POOL D

| December 15, 2021
• Sport Lisboa & Benfica (POR) – Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) 1-3 (19:25, 16:25, 25:15, 19:25)
• Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB) – Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) 0-3 (22:25, 13:25, 20:25)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) 3
Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) 3
Sport Lisboa & Benfica (POR) 0
Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB) 0

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🏐| POOL E

| December 15, 2021
• AS Cannes Volley Ball (FRA) – Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) 0-3 (15:25, 22:25, 18:25)

| December 16, 2021
• Itas Trentino (ITA) – Fenerbahçe HDI Istanbul (TUR) 3-0 (25:22, 25:21, 25:17)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) 3
Fenerbahçe HDI Istanbul (TUR) 3
AS Cannes Volley Ball (FRA) 0
Itas Trentino (ITA) 0

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