Istanbul Gençlik conquer the BVA Cup in Kalamata and secure a Challenge Cup ticket

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Istanbul Gençlik SK are the 2026 BVA Men’s Cup champions.
The Turkish side completed an unbeaten run through the four-team tournament in Kalamata, Greece, defeating the hosts AO Kalamata 1980 in straight sets in a decisive final-day encounter that delivered both the Balkan trophy and a place in the 2026/27 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
Their European campaign will continue against Israel’s Maccabi Yeadim Tel-Aviv in the Round of 32.

With both teams arriving at the closing match with the title at stake, Istanbul Gençlik needed to show their composure at the most important moments. They did exactly that, overcoming Kalamata 3-0 (30:28, 25:19, 26:24) in a contest featuring two fiercely contested sets and a second set in which the visitors established firmer control.
The opening set was a battle of fine margins, with neither team managing to build a lead of more than two points. Istanbul Gençlik eventually converted their fourth set point, having already saved two opportunities for the Greek hosts, to take a crucial early advantage. The Turkish side then raised their level in the second set, moving one step closer to the trophy.
Kalamata refused to surrender without a fight: the hosts pushed their opponents to the limit once again in the third set, cancelling Istanbul Gençlik’s first match point and keeping the outcome in doubt until the final exchanges. It was Dick Kooy who delivered the decisive blow, the Dutch-Italian outside hitter finishing the match with an ace to seal the title in emphatic fashion.
Kooy was subsequently named tournament MVP after playing a leading role in his team’s triumph. Krisztian Padar contributed 16 points, while Kooy added 14. Kalamata’s Angelos Markou was the match’s top scorer with 20 points, also finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer. His 18 kills from 33 attempts, a 55% success rate in attack, were not enough to prevent the home side from falling short in the battle for gold.
The statistics highlighted Istanbul Gençlik’s greater effectiveness in key areas. The Turkish team dominated at the net, recording 10 blocks to Kalamata’s five, while also displaying greater control in reception. In a match where the first and third sets could easily have gone either way, those differences proved decisive.

Earlier in the day, Bulgaria’s VC Metalurg Pernik secured third place and the bronze medal with a straight-sets victory over Kosovo’s KV Luboteni Ferizaj, winning 25:18, 25:22, 25:20.
Metalurg appeared in control in the opening set, but Luboteni made their strongest push in the second, leading for much of the way and moving ahead 21-19. The Bulgarian side responded at precisely the right moment, producing a decisive 6-1 run to turn the set around and take a commanding two-set lead.
Metalurg head coach Francesco Mollo made extensive use of his bench in the second and third sets, with Konstantin Manolev leading his team’s scoring with 11 points and Luboslav Simeonov adding 10. Luboteni’s Rigon Bajrami and Colombian attacker Ronnie Mosquera Galvis each finished with 13 points, sharing match-high honours. Although the Kosovan side applied pressure from the service line, Metalurg proved more consistent across the court and closed out the match in three sets.

The final standings therefore saw Istanbul Gençlik crowned Balkan champions, AO Kalamata 1980 take silver on home soil and Metalurg Pernik complete the podium. For the Turkish winners, however, the significance of the triumph extends beyond the trophy itself: the BVA Cup has also opened the door to a new European challenge, with Maccabi Yeadim Tel-Aviv now standing between them and a place in the next round of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.

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