Champions League: Lube down Tours to come close to claiming No. 1 in Pool C. 3 points also for Aluron, Ljubljana and ZAKSA

Round 4 of the 2023 CEV Men’s Volleyball Champions League continued today with other four matches played.
In Pool B, current Plusliga’s leaders Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie regain first place also in Champions League, sweeping Bulgaria’s Hebar Pazardzhik in straight sets (26:24, 25:15, 25:17), struggling only in first set. Serb Uroš Kovacevic, top scorer of the game with 15 points, was named MVP.

Cucine Lube Civitanova swept Tours VB to virtually secure No. 1 in Pool C. Italian powerhouse earned their fourth consecutive European success as they swept French rivals 3-0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:17) at home. Chicco Blengini’s guys outplayed Tours mainly exploiting the kills of Ivan Zaytsev, opponents’ resistance lasted only one set, and then shut down. After that, Marcelo Fronckowiak’s team never found the continuity necessary to be able to play it equally with Lube at the Eurosuole Forum court. The SuperLega champions are thus very close to mortgaging first place in their pool, given that they now boast two victories and five points more than second-placed Tours.

“We are very happy for the win and for the team’s performance, especially for what we did in the second and in the third sets, when everything was working very well on our side of the court. I don’t know if we have already secured the first position, and honestly I think it doesn’t matter, because when you play for such an great club like Civitanova you play to win every game. So we will do in the remaining two matches,” said Ivan Zaytsev, also named MVP of the match.

Marcelo Fronckowiak, Head coach of Tours VB: “After a balanced first set, we totally disappeared from the court, and of course, I can’t be happy for this. We didn’t show the right attitude for such an important match and I will talk to my players about this. On the other side, I also want to congratulate Civitanova for their great performance.”

Poland’s Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle, better known in world of volleyball as ZAKSA, took an example from fellow countrymen Jastrzębski Węgiel and Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and also didn’t lose a set in the fourth round (25:16, 25:17, 25:21). The titleholders defeated Belgium’s Decospan VT Menen in Pool D and are 3-1 in the competition. Wojciech Żaliński stood out for ZAKSA with 11 points, while Finn Jiri Hänninen scored 10 on the losing side.

Close the picture a great away win in Pool E of Slovenia’s ACH Volley Ljubljana in Germany, on the field of SWS Powervolleys Düren. The game ended in four sets (21:25, 20:25, 25:19, 16:25), and Nikola Gjorgiev stood out for the winners with 23 points, all in attack, and 61%.

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🏐| 2022/23 CEV Champions League | Pool Stage | Matches of the week

| Tuesday | December 13, 2022
POOL A | 18.00 (Local Time) | Jastrzebski Węgiel (POL) – Montpellier MHSC VB (FRA) 3-0 (25:23, 27:25, 25:20)

| Tuesday | December 13, 2022
POOL A | 20.00 (Local Time) | VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) – Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB) 3-1 (20:25, 25:17, 25:16, 25:23)

🏐| Standings of Pool A (updated on this day)
1. Jastrzebski Węgiel (POL) 12
2. VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) 8
3. Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB) 3
4. Montpellier MHSC VB (FRA) 1

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| Tuesday | December 13, 2022
POOL B | 19.30 (Local Time) | Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 0-3 (16:25, 33:35, 22:25)

👉🏼 Wednesday | December 14, 2022
POOL B | 18.00 (Local Time) | Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie (POL) – Hebar Pazardzhik (BUL) 3-0 (26:24, 25:15, 25:17)

🏐| Standings of Pool B (updated on this day)
1. Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie (POL) 9
2. Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 8
3. Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) 5
4. Hebar Pazardzhik (BUL) 2

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| Tuesday | December 13, 2022
POOL C | 20.30 (Local Time) | Knack Roeselare (BEL) – Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) 3-0 (25:18, 25:22, 25:16)

👉🏼 Wednesday | December 14, 2022
POOL C | 19.00 (Local Time) | Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) – Tours VB (FRA) 3-0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:17)

🏐| Standings of Pool C (updated on this day)
1. Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) 11
2. Tours VB (FRA) 6
3. Knack Roeselare (BEL) 5
4. Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) 2

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👉🏼 Wednesday | December 14, 2022
POOL D | 20.30 (Local Time) | Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Kozle (POL) – Decospan VT Menen (BEL) 3-0 (25:16, 25:17, 25:21)

🏐| Standings of Pool D (updated on this day)
1. Trentino Itas (ITA) 9
2. Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Kozle (POL) 9
3. ČEZ Karlovarsko (CZE) 3
4. Decospan VT Menen (BEL) 0

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👉🏼 Wednesday | December 14, 2022
POOL E | 20.00 (Local Time) | SWS Powervolleys Düren (GER) – ACH Volley Ljubljana (SLO) 1-3 (21:25, 20:25, 25:19, 16:25)

| Thursday | December 15, 2022
POOL E | 20.00 (Local Time) | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) – Ziraat Bank Ankara (TUR) 3-1 (25:17, 19:25, 25:17, 25:17)

🏐| Standings of Pool E (updated on this day)
1. Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) 9
2. ACH Volley Ljubljana (SLO) 7
3. SWS Powervolleys Düren (GER) 3
4. Ziraat Bank Ankara (TUR) 2

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