2018 CEV Challenge Cup

  • Teams


    AUT A. Linz-Steg
    AUT UVC Holding Graz
    AUT VB NO Sokol Schwechat
    AZE Azerrail Baku
    BEL Hermes Oostende
    BEL Amigos-Van Peit Zoerzel
    BEL Sharks Charleroi
    BIH ZOK Gacko
    BUL Levski Sofia
    CRO ZOK Osijek
    CRO Mladost Zagreb
    CZE TJ Ostrava
    DEN Holte IF
    FIN OrPo Orivesi
    FIN Pölkky Kuusamo
    FRA Nantes VB
    GRE Olympiacos SFP Piraeus
    HUN Vasas Obuda Budapest
    LIE VBC Galina Schaan
    LUX RSR Walfer
    NOR Randaberg IL
    POR CK Ponta Delgada
    POR AVC Famalicao
    ROU CSM Targoviste
    ROU Stiinta Bacau
    RUS Dinamo Krasnodar
    SRB Tent Obrenovac
    SVK Slavia EU Bratislava
    SVK 1.BVK Bratislava
    ESP CVB Barça Barcelona
    ESP CV Logroño
    ESP Ibsa CV Las Palmas
    SUI Viteos Neuchatel Université
    SUI Sm'AESCH Pfeffingen
    TUR Bursa BBSK
    ??? BVA Cup Winner

  • No Cannakkale?


    Canakkale will play Balkan (BVA) Cup which they will win most probably and then qualify to Challenge Cup from there. There is no 2 Turkish spots for Challenge cup normally. Last year for example Canakkale also qualified from Balkan Cup to Challenge Cup. ;)

  • Got it, thank u for explanning.

    Canakkale will play Balkan (BVA) Cup which they will win most probably and then qualify to Challenge Cup from there. There is no 2 Turkish spots for Challenge cup normally. Last year for example Canakkale also qualified from Balkan Cup to Challenge Cup. ;)

  • Got it, thank u for explanning.


    Yes, this construct is kind of special backdoor for Turkey, to get an otherwise not permitted sixth team into the European cups. But honestly, with the four clubs from Istanbul regularly occupying the CL and CEV cup berths, one can understand, why CEV creates the chance for two more teams to attend from its by far strongest league.


    Defending champion BURSA BBSK is the clear-cut favorite, I think. If Dynamo KRASNODAR can manage to get a competitive team here after losing all well-known players is doubtful, but we will see it.

  • In the last minute German champions Schwerin were as pleaded by them upgraded and drawn into CEV cup, where their chances are not very good, by the way. In case somebody wonders about it, because yesterday they were still listed in this Challenge cup.

  • In the last minute German champions Schwerin were as pleaded by them upgraded and drawn into CEV cup, where their chances are not very good, by the way. In case somebody wonders about it, because yesterday they were still listed in this Challenge cup.


    Yes, I noticed. Some weirds movements from CEV. Logroño (spanish champ) from 2nd round, CVB Barça directly in 16th. LUX and LIE teams in 16th 8| while AUT, BEL and ESP have to fight from 2nd round.


    I think Bursa (or Cannakale) and Krasnodar are main favorites to tittle

  • Surprise, surprise: not Canakkale from Turkey won the Balkan cup and this way the last free spot in this competition, but hardly known Serbian mid-of-league team Železničar LAJKOVAC, which managed to defeat Canakkale in the four-team round robin competition, grabbing away this trophy from them and third-placed Dynamo Bucarest despite losing one match against Bucarest in tie-break. So Bursa remains main contender here alongside with Krasnodar.

  • Canakkale is such a mess this season. They lost their best local players like Beyza, they lost Mia Jerkov. And even Megan Courtney can't play with them this season bcs of injury. If they don't manage to make some transfers fast now it will be division 2 :wavy:

  • VB NO Sokol Schwechat (Aut) – ZOK Osijek (Cro) 2-3 (21-25, 13-25, 25-19, 25-21, 9-15) (andata: 3-2) Golden Set: 14-16


    UVC Holding Graz (Aut) – Slavia EU Bratislava (Svk) 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 25-22) (andata: 3-1)


    Charleroi (Bel) – Polkky Kuusamo (Fin) 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-21) (andata: 3-1)
    Top Scorer: Andreeva 15, Thevenin 12, Alons 10; Prokopenko 10, Helminen 9.


    Minis de Arluy Logroño (Spa) – AVC Famalicao (Por) 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-15) (andata: 3-0)
    Top Scorer: Helia Gonzalez 18, Daniella Pereira 10; Aline Rodrigues 8.


    Amigos-Van Pelt Zoersel (Bel) – Ibsa CV Las Palmas (Spa) 1-3 (17-25, 15-25, 25-20, 18-25) (andata: 2-3)
    Top Scorer: De Jong 13, Penders 10; Saray Manzano 24, Sara Folgueira 15, Amber Cannady 10.


    16th Finals

    RSR WALFER (Lux) – BURSA BBSK (Tur)
    CHARLEROI Volley (Bel) – CVB Barça BARCELONA (Spa)
    CK PONTA DELGADA (Por) – Hermes OOSTENDE (Bel)
    Zeleznicar LAJKOVAC (Srb) – Tent OBRENOVAC (Srb)


    RANDABERG IL (Nor) – NANTES VB (Fra)
    KULAchange VBC Galina SCHAAN (Svi) – Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (Ung)
    Ibsa CV LAS PALMAS (Spa) – A. LINZ-STEG (Aut)
    HOLTE IF (Dan) – Viteos NEUCHATEL Université (Svi)


    Stiinta BACAU (Rom) – Azerrail BAKU (Aze)
    Sm’AESCH Pfeffingen (Svi) – Mladost ZAGREB (Cro)
    Minis de Arluy VB LOGROÑO (Spa) – Olympiacos SFP PIRAEUS (Gre)
    Levski SOFIA (Bul) – C.S.M. TARGOVISTE (Rom)


    ŽOK OSIJEK (Cro) – TJ OSTRAVA (Cec)
    KV Kastrioti FERIZAJ (Kos) – OrPo ORIVESI (Fin)
    Strabag VC BRATISLAVA (Svk) – ŽOK GACKO (Bos)
    UVC Holding GRAZ (Aut) – Dinamo KRASNODAR (Rus)


  • There are not many teams with decent level in this competition (as usual). Clear-cut favourite is once more two times winner Bursa, because Krasnodar is really struggling currently, trailing the Russian superleague. Some more relevant teams seem to me Olympiacos Piraeus, maybe Ostrava, of course first round opponents Stiinta Bacau and Azerrail Baku, CSM Targoviste and Aesch Pfeffingen; maybe also Nantes.

  • Interestingly Stiinta Bacau won 3 to 1 sets against Azerrail Baku at home. The time of glory of Azeri womens volleyball in Europe is obviously over, even when considering that Bacau is the third placed team in the truly not bad Romanian league.


    Krasnodar is really very weak currently: in Graz they needed the tie-break (!) to win against a rather feeble opponent. So this fits in the bad picture of trailing Russian superleague.

  • RSR WALFER (Lux) – BURSA BBSK (Tur) 0-3 (12-25, 16-25, 11-25)


    CHARLEROI Volley (Bel) – CVB Barça BARCELONA (Spa) 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-15)


    CK PONTA DELGADA (Por) – Hermes OOSTENDE (Bel) 1-3 (28-30, 25-18, 23-25, 23-25)


    Zeleznicar LAJKOVAC (Srb) – Tent OBRENOVAC (Srb) 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-16)


    RANDABERG IL (Nor) – NANTES VB (Fra) 0-3 (15-25, 16-25, 15-25)


    KULAchange VBC Galina SCHAAN (Svi) – Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (Ung) 1-3 (25-17, 14-25, 19-25, 23-25)


    Ibsa CV LAS PALMAS (Spa) – A. LINZ-STEG (Aut) 3-1 (20-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-18 )


    HOLTE IF (Dan) – Viteos NEUCHATEL Université (Svi) 0-3 (23-25, 27-29, 19-25)


    Stiinta BACAU (Rom) – Azerrail BAKU (Aze) 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 25-18 )


    Sm’AESCH Pfeffingen (Svi) – Mladost ZAGREB (Cro) 1-3 (28-26, 20-25, 18-25, 16-25)


    Minis de Arluy VB LOGROÑO (Spa) – Olympiacos SFP PIRAEUS (Gre) 2-3 (20-25, 31-29, 19-25, 25-18, 10-15)


    Levski SOFIA (Bul) – C.S.M. TARGOVISTE (Rom) 1-3 (15-25, 25-27, 27-25, 17-25)


    ŽOK OSIJEK (Cro) – TJ OSTRAVA (Cec) 0-3 (12-25, 13-25, 18-25)


    KV Kastrioti FERIZAJ (Kos) – OrPo ORIVESI (Fin) 0-3 (13-25, 15-25, 14-25)


    Strabag VC BRATISLAVA (Svk) – ŽOK GACKO (Bos) 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-21)


    UVC Holding GRAZ (Aut) – Dinamo KRASNODAR (Rus) 2-3 (16-25, 27-25, 25-22, 23-25, 4-15)