Challenge Cup: Final is Halkbank – Narbonne!

The Grand Finale of 2021/22 CEV Challenge Cup, the only one of the three non-conditioned European Cups from the exclusion of Russian teams, has been defined this evening.

Due to the 3-0 of the first leg, 2 sets were enough for Halkbank to eliminate Panathinaikos, even if the match lasted until 20-18 of the tie-break, still won by the Turkish team even with several backups in field.

On the other match, Narbonne’s qualification is more complicated: after a lead of 2-0 and 23-21, and after wasting 2 match points, they lost the second leg match at the tie-break against a very good Ljubljana.
In the golden set, however, the French immediately regained control of the match with a 7-1 advantage, to win 15-9.
Either way, Narbonne Volley wrote the brand new chapter of their club history, as this is an unprecedented result for the French club, which has never played in a European final before. Brazilian Rafael Rodrigues de Araújo put down 30 points on the winning side, while Argentine Nicolás Zerba made as many as 9 blocks.

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🏐| FINAL
March 15: Halkbank Ankara – Narbonne
March 22: Narbonne – Halkbank Ankara

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🏐| CEV Challenge Cup 2021/22 – Semifinals First Leg

| Wednesday 23rd February
• Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – Panathinaikos AC Athens (GRE) 3-0 (25:22, 25:20, 25:21)

| Thursday 24th February
• ACH Volley Ljubljana (SLO) – Narbonne Volley (FRA) 2-3 (23:25, 22:25, 30:28, 25:16, 10:15)

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🏐| Second Leg

👉🏼 Tuesday 1st March

• Narbonne Volley (FRA) – ACH Volley Ljubljana (SLO) 2-3 (25:17, 25:17, 28:30, 18:25, 13:15) GOLDEN SET: 15:9.

• Panathinaikos AC Athens (GRE) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 2-3 (19:25, 22:25, 30:28, 25:17, 18:20) FULL MATCH

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