CEV Champions League 2018

  • Pool A: Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA), Knack ROESELARE (BEL), Sir Colussi Sicoma PERUGIA (ITA), Fenerbahce SK ISTANBUL (TUR)
    Pool B: Halkbank ANKARA (TUR), PAOK THESSALONIKI (GRE), VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER), Ford Store Levoranta SASTAMALA (FIN)
    Pool C: CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne (FRA), Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS), PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL), Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK (RUS)
    Pool D: Zenit KAZAN (RUS), BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER), Spacer’s TOULOUSE VB (FRA), JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel (POL)
    Pool E: Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL), TRENTINO Diatec (ITA), Arkas IZMIR (TUR), Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


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  • PGE Skra Bełchatów is in trouble. Their lead opposite Mariusz Wlazly is not going to be available for The Plusliga, World Club Championship in December and the most of the Champions League matches for this year because of a broken rib for four weeks.


    Their group is not the most difficult but considering their present struggles. Something has got to give.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


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  • Pool A: Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA), Knack ROESELARE (BEL), Sir Colussi Sicoma PERUGIA (ITA), Fenerbahce SK ISTANBUL (TUR)
    Pool B: Halkbank ANKARA (TUR), PAOK THESSALONIKI (GRE), VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER), Ford Store Levoranta SASTAMALA (FIN)
    Pool C: CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne (FRA), Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS), PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL), Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK (RUS)
    Pool D: Zenit KAZAN (RUS), BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER), Spacer’s TOULOUSE VB (FRA), JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel (POL)
    Pool E: Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL), TRENTINO Diatec (ITA), Arkas IZMIR (TUR), Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)

    Family meeting in Berlin. :wavy: Lebedew returns to his former workplace, meets some of his former players and 3 of his actual NT players. His last years assistant in JW is now in charge in Berlin and also Salvador Hidalgo has a Berlin history and can sleep in his own appartment in Berlin. :lol:


    Are there already any rumours on who wants to organize final4 ?

  • If we are judging it from the gap of time since a country hosted the final four then it should be Russia.


    If we are basing it on the country spending the most money to compete(buying strong players et al) recently then it could be Turkey.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Well, as a Trentino fan I must admit we could have had worse, as an Italian that we could have had better.
    Imho the pools are still not unbalanced like the female, anyway... there I guess Italy could have hardly got worst :lol:

  • First matchday of the group stage:


    VaLePa-PAOK
    Trento-Maaseik

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Vettori currently in the bank.Is he only serving for Lanza?


    Teppan is actually doing quite pretty well in this match but Noliko takes a set. Trentino leads by 2.


    PS. I thought something shady was up during the 3rd set. Refs were probably helping Noliko. There was this one challenge by Trento that took a long time but the replay clearly shown the serve went in as ace.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited once, last by Rains_of_Castamere ().

  • Chill out Rain, it was probably just a video check issue, and it solved well after all. In case, in the same set they whistled vs Noliko a gentle touch that was probably perfectly fine ;)


    About Teppan, Lorenzetti said that they've already decide to let him play yesterday on Sunday before Modena, in fact he said to him that if he was needed vs Modena he should have been ready because he will have to prove him in order to play in Belgium.
    Anyway, Vettori has played good matches but also bad and so and so matches, and the overall feeling is that he isn't fully in the game yet. So I guess it's a good thing having chance to let Teppan plays and it's even more good that he is playing well ^^


    About Kovacevic, he was finally titular, but I felt it was more like 'ok, since we should be superior to Noliko, we can start to try you on court for a whole match'. So I'm not sure he will play as titular the next match as well, to at least not all.
    Lorenzetti also said something like he is not use to not being the protagonist on court but should embrace that and doing better some 'collateral' stuffs, because 'you need to help the team, so if you can score 30 points you're allowed to commit mistakes/imprecision in other department, but if you can't you need to do everything else very well'.


    Giannelli is back to serving jump-serve, but a very soft one, usually with short balls.



    This evening Lube-Perugia, I don't remember where.

  • After checking the video again. The 1st ref later changed the decision. I would have said otherwise if only the the ball from Giannelli's serve was a millimeter out but whoever was in charge of the challenge system is probably intentionally delaying the game.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited once, last by Rains_of_Castamere ().

  • I forgot to say: I'm glad there are line-referee which we don't have any more in Italy; I was totally annoyed when I realized CEV still uses technical time out (c'mooon!), and I was surprised to see FIVB referee instead of CEV's.

  • Arkas Spor serve is weak so far. I think they can match up with Zaksa if they fix their serve pressure.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited once, last by Rains_of_Castamere ().

  • Seems Arkas lost 0-3 but match could have ended 3-0 as well. If I am right Arkas has a lot of young players so maybe this match helped them realize their ability and next time they can start taking sets and matches! :drink:

  • Zaytsev out from the start. Berger plays titular.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • it's only me or the audio is terrible? I found an italian radio that airs it but it's way earlier (or better, laola is late) and works only live :(


    anyway, what a risk by Lube! they where like 5 points ahed in the second part of the set (from 13-13 to 16-13, and the increased it) and then Perugia came back (18-22 or less to 21-22, then 21-23, and again 23-23) and it ended 30-28 for Lube

  • Lube 20th point of the second set was priceless! 8o
    Even if for a second I thought it would have been the first ball put down by Zaytsev in a quite long time..


    the set begun with a promising 6-2 for Lube with Ata on fire on serve (3 aces), but from the second part of the set Lube flayed away... and this time Perugia didn't keep up.

  • Perugia should try changing the rotation of Zaytsev and Russell. That Sokolov block is killing them.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney