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The principle part of probably the most prestigious skilled volleyball match on the earth begins Wednesday. For the reason that match to crown the highest membership in Europe advanced from a strictly knock-out match to the CEV Champions League within the 2000-2001 season, the variety of groups taking part has grown. The primary version solely featured 16 groups from 12 nations. Not each member nation of the CEV had its champion given the prospect to compete, solely these nations with the best CEV rating.
The match grew to twenty-eight groups from 16 nations within the 2015-2016 season. Even then, areas within the match had been solely allotted to the nations with the best CEV rating. Beginning within the 2016-2017 season, the CEV opened it as much as the champions of all of the member nations. Groups from nations with low rankings have needed to undergo preliminary rounds earlier than making the group stage.
The 31 groups from 24 nations initially collaborating on this yr’s competitors have been diminished to twenty with CV Guagas of Spain, CS Arcada Galați of Romania, and Olympiakos Pireaus of Greece qualifying to the group stage by means of two preliminary rounds. These golf equipment will be a part of the 17 golf equipment who robotically certified for the group stage because of CEV nation rankings to compose 5 swimming pools of 4 groups. Russian golf equipment usually are not allowed to take part once more due to the continuing battle in Ukraine.
There are 10 American gamers on six groups left. Dave Smith is making an attempt to win his fourth consecutive championship with ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle of Poland. He received the final two with Erik Shoji as his teammate, and he was final season’s MVP of the ultimate. ZAKSA will probably be in Pool A with Matt Anderson of Ziraat Bankasi of Türkiye. Each groups received their respective nation’s Supercup competitions, however each have suffered two losses of their home leagues. They’re each coming off of two sweeps and are favored to be the highest two groups within the pool. ZAKSA performs Olympiakos on Wednesday, and Ziraat performs Knack Roeselare of Belgium on Thursday.
TJ DeFalco, in his fifth yr as knowledgeable, is making his Champions League debut Thursday. Final season he was instrumental in serving to Asseco Resovia Rzeszów get again to Europe’s prime competitors for the primary time since 2016-2017. They open Pool B towards defending French champion Excursions VB. Resovia is closely favored as Excursions is at the moment 2-5 within the Marmara Spike League (previously Ligue A). Itas Trentino and ACH Volley of Slovenia spherical out the pool.
Micah Ma’a and Halkbank Ankara reached the semifinals for the primary time final yr earlier than falling to Jastrzębski Węgiel (Jastrzębski Węgiel was given an automated bid because of internet hosting the ultimate 4 in 2015 earlier than the CEV modified the format and eradicated playoff berths for internet hosting privileges).
Whereas Thomas Jaeschke left the group to play in Japan this yr, Halkbank picked up celebrity Earvin N’Gapeth. Ma’a, N’Gapeth, and Nimir Abdel-Aziz are beginning their Champions League marketing campaign in Pool C with a tall process within the type of Fuel Gross sales Piacenza of Italy. Piacenza boasts a lineup of Lucarelli, Yoandy Leal, Antoine Brizzard, and Robertlany Simon. Cody Kessell and the Berlin Recycling Volleys will play Benfica Lisbon on Thursday. Berlin, at the moment unbeaten in all German competitions, has reached the quarterfinals all however as soon as within the final 5 seasons. It’s in search of its first semifinal look since 2017.
SVG Lüneburg makes its first look within the CEV Champions League on Wednesday in its Pool D match towards Jihostroj Českė Budějovice of the Czech Republic. Matt Knigge performed within the preliminary spherical in 2021 with CV Guagas, however that is his first yr enjoying within the group stage. CV Guagas can also be in Pool D together with Jastrzębski Węgiel. Gage Worsley, Blake Leeson, and Matt Slivinsky of Lüneburg are enjoying within the Champions League for the primary time. Jastrzębski Węgiel, at the moment undefeated within the Polish PlusLiga, is the overwhelming favourite to win the pool. The second spot, and automated qualifier into the playoffs, may be very a lot up for grabs.
Aleksandar Nikolov, the Bulgarian outdoors hitter who starred at Lengthy Seashore State, and Lube Civitanova of Italy are the odds-on favorites to win Pool E. CS Arcada Galați will face Lube on November 22. The remainder of the pool consists of Greenyard Maaseik and VK Lvi Praha of the Czech Republic. These two groups additionally play Wednesday.
Poland
In what is perhaps the largest information popping out of Poland this week, Taylor Averill signed with Projekt Warsaw. It had been revealed that the center blocker from the USA nationwide group was headed to China. Averil performed the final two seasons at Indykpol AZS Olsztyn. He will probably be becoming a member of a membership that’s at the moment unbeaten and in second place.
Smith was again within the beginning lineup for ZAKSA towards GKS Katowice and hit .933 with out an assault error, ending with 14 kills and three aces. Shoji handed 56 % positively and 28 % completely whereas making a match-high 10 digs.
Defalco hit .484 for Resova and had 19 kills and had three blocks in a five-set win over Stal Nysa.
.Josh Tuaniga set Indykpol Azs Olsztyn to a victory over Actual Methods Hemarpol Częstochowa as his group hit .374.
DeFalco and Resovia beat Olsztyn with as he had 5 kills on 15 makes an attempt and 5 aces. Tuaniga set Olsztyn to a .292 assault effectivity and likewise put away a kill.
Shoji handed 43 % optimistic receptions and 21 % excellent in a sweep of Enea Czarni Radom. Smith was used as a serving sub within the first two units.
Russia
Setter Micah Christenson and Zenit Kazan finds itself in sixth place early within the season after splitting two matches final week. They misplaced to Belgorod in 4 after which beat Dynamo-Lo.
Italy
Gabi Garcia had 4 kills however hit detrimental as Pallavolo Padova misplaced in 4 to Valsa Group Modena. Osmany Juantorena had 18 kills, hit .720 and had three aces for Modena.
Kyle Russell had 11 kills and two aces however hit .097 in a 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-14 defeat to Sir Susa Perugia. Jeff Jendryk contributed 4 kills and a block.
Padova earned its third win in six matches by beating Rana Verona within the Venetian derby. Garcia led with 4 aces to associate with 16 kills, hitting .414. Andrea Gardini completed with 9 kills. Francesco Sani was used as an alternative to Verona and had a kill.
Taranto received the primary two units however couldn’t end, regardless of having match level within the fifth set towards Cisterna Volley, 25-27, 20-25, 25-18, 25-13, 17-15. Jendryk had three kills and two blocks. Russell began at reverse, however was changed after getting two kills and three errors in 14 makes an attempt.
Japan
Aaron Russell and the JT Thunders Hiroshima break up two matches at house with the Toray Arrows. Russell had 15 kills, three blocks and an ace in a the loss. Russell had 26 kills, three blocks and an ace in a four-set win.
Thomas Jaeschke and the Panasonic Panthers had been again in motion after being off the earlier week. Jaeschke had eight kills, two blocks and an ace in Panasonic’s first defeat of the season, 25-21. 25-21, 25-23 to WD Nagoya. Panasonic responded with a 25-21, 25-27, 25-21, 25-23 win the following day and Jaeschke completed with 21 kills, 4 blocks, and three aces.
Türkiye
Halkbank Ankara moved into first place for the primary time this season, however wanted assist from Matt Anderson’s Ziraat Bankasi to take action. Ma’a set Halkbank to a .464 assault effectivity whereas getting an ace and a block in a victory over Kuşgöz Izmir Vinç Akkuş Bld.
Ziraat Bankasi dropped a 25-27, 25-18, 25-20, 18-25, 15-13 determination to Fenerbahce. Taking the match to a fifth set took some extent from Fenerbahce within the standings and allowed Halkbank to assert the highest spot within the rankings. Anderson tied a match-high 4 aces, however hit .000 with six kills.
Halkbank then swept Bidadiç Bld. as Halkbank didn’t play N’Gapeth or Nimir. Ma’a nonetheless set the group to a .462 assault effectivity.
Ziraat Bankasi swept Spor Toto as Anderson hit a formidable .722 from the left aspect. He additionally handed 60 % positively in a efficiency that included three aces and 14 kills.
France
Chaumont was given all it might deal with by Good, however prevailed 15-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-19, 17-15 as Joe Worsley set Chaumont to a .386 hitting proportion. Dan McDonnell had 10 kills, hitting .500, and had two aces. Pat Gasman began on the different center place, however was changed within the second set after getting one kill on six makes an attempt with an error. Michael Marshman got here off the bench to complete the match at center blocker and hit .500 on his strategy to eight kills and an ace.
Paris dropped a 25-23, 25-12, 25-19 determination to undefeated Tourcoing as Daniel Wetter had 4 kills, an ace and a match-high three blocks.
Narbonne fell to 0-6 in league play with a 25-18, 25-15, 25-23 loss to Toulouse. Regardless of the loss, Kyle Dagostino impressively handed 92 % positively and 58 % completely.
Quinn Isaacson was again within the beginning lineup for Saint Nazaire, who swept Excursions 26-24, 25-18, 25-22 as he set his group to a .464 hitting proportion. He additionally contributed an ace and a kill. Jordan Ewert led with 14 kills, two aces, a block and a .500 assault effectivity. Kyle Ensing added 13 kills and a block whereas hitting .462.
Dagostino handed 60 % positively and 47 % completely for Nabonne in a defeat to Plessis-Robinson.
Ewert was once more the main scorer for Saint Nazaire in a victory over Montpellier, ending with 12 kills, two aces and a block. Ensing scored on seven kills, one ace and a .600 hitting proportion in simply lower than two units of play. Isaacson began at setter, however was changed within the second set. The group hit .426 within the units he performed.
Chaumont moved to 6-1 with a win over Saint Jean d’Illac. Worsley set Chaumont to a .388 hitting proportion and scored on an ace. Marshman scored on 5 kills and three blocks. McDonnell had 5 kills with a .714 assault common to go along with an ace.
Germany
Ian Parrish had two kills, a block and an ace for FT 1844 Freiburg in a loss to SWD powervolleys Duren.
Gage Worsley turned in a 53 % optimistic and 27 % excellent passing efficiency for SVG Lüneburg, who beat TSV Haching Munich. Matt Knigge had seven kills and three blocks. His seven kills got here on 9 makes an attempt with no errors in assault. Matt Slivinski was used as a serving substitute within the third set, finishing two serves. Austin Matautia completed with 9 kills for Munich.
Cody Kessel began at outdoors hitter for Berlin in a sweep of VC Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Kessel handed 25 of Berlin’s 35 acquired serves with a 52 % optimistic and 40 % excellent reception score. He scored on 8 kills and a block with a .500 hitting proportion.
Helios Grizzlys Giesen reached the semifinals of the German Cup with a sweep of Freiburg. JT Hatch earned 5 kills on seven makes an attempt with no errors for Giesen. Parrish scored on two aces, a block and a kill.
Giesen performs WWK Volleys Herrsching within the semifinals. Herrsching beat Duren 25-23, 21-25, 13-25, 27-25, 17-15 and Ryan Manoogian noticed restricted motion because the second libero.
Lüneburg beat VC Bitterfeld-Wolfen as Slivinski had 13 kills and an ace. Knigge contributed eight kills, hit .889, and a match-high 4 blocks. Black Leeson hit .800 on his strategy to eight kills, two blocks and an ace. Worsley handed 38 % of his receptions completely.
Lüneburg performs Berlin, which superior by beating Blue Volleys Gotha. No stats had been obtainable.
Brazil
Austin Wilmot began at center blocker for Itambé Minas and had 5 kills, hit .625, and two blocks in a win over Araguari Volei on November 13.
Finland
Troy Gooch handed 86 % positively and 36 % completely in Hurrikaani-Loimaa’s win towards the Vantaa Geese. Greg Petty led with 23 kills, two aces, and a block.
Colin Lovejoy had a troublesome outing for Kyky-Betset towards TUTO Volley, hitting .000 in a five-set win.
Michael Michelau hit .524 for Savo Volley, which swept the Vantaa Geese. Michelau had 12 kills, two blocks and an ace,
Czech Republic
Tommy Carmody hit .800 for Karlovarsko in a win over VK Ostrava with 4 kills, two aces and a match-high six blocks. Spencer Olivier had 5 kills on 5 swings. Mark Olsen of Ostrava had 4 kills, hitting. 800, a block, and an ace.
Patrick Ross hit .538 for for Brno in a five-set win over Odolena Voda and had eight kills in 4 units. Grant Marocchi had three kills, two blocks, and an ace.
Serbia
Jaylen Jasper is at the moment the third-best scorer in Serbia at 5.64 factors per set. He scored 18 factors for Spartak Subotica in a 25-14, 23-25, 25-16, 26-24 win towards Ribinica which included 11 kills to go along with 5 blocks and a match-high two aces.
Switzerland
Chênois Genève remained unbeaten with a sweep of Concordia Volley Luzern. Each James Norris and Denis Del Valle had been within the beginning lineup for Chênois Genève, however no stats had been obtainable.