Cisneros Alter continue to amaze in Europe

Cisneros Alter TENERIFE and WWK Volleys HERRSCHING delivered a truly exciting match at the Quico Cabrera sports hall, which resonated with excitement with every action. In a back-and-forth battle between two great teams, the winner was decided in the tie-break. Cisneros eventually emerged victorious, and they now have an advantage in the 16th Finals of the men’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2025. 

The Cisneros team started the match fearlessly. However, the German height at the net made it difficult for the islanders to attack, though their play improved with the leadership of Sergio Noda and Vítor Amorim (7-7). A direct point from Gastón Fernández gave Cisneros the lead and sparked the best defensive moment of the set. Arnau Masià and Ignacio Roberts fought for every ball, and Navreet Suhan grew strong at the net, thereby extending the lead to 14-10 and forcing the Germans to call a timeout. The reaction came immediately, and they managed to tie the set at 15, but Cisneros did not back down. Thanks to the Argentine connection of Roberts and Fernández, the Tenerife team regained the initiative (19-16). The Quico Cabrera crowd could sense the first set was within reach, but they needed to finish strong. The Cisneros players did just that, giving their all until a powerful spike from Amorim after Masià’s miraculous save made it 25-23 on the scoreboard.

The equality was even more evident in the second set, with both teams exchanging blows in the early stages (8-8). However, a series of strong attacks from the visitors gave them a three-point advantage (9-12). Cisneros relied on Bruno Vinti to stay in the fight (15-16), although the joy was short-lived. The visitors showed their best version, taking control of the match and pulling ahead to 17-21. Yet, the known ‘winning gene’ of Cisneros pushed them to fight until the end, but the German team managed to close out the set (20-25), thus tying the match at 1-1.

The home team struggled at the start of the third set (1-4), but these players are made of tougher stuff. Amorim’s points ignited the comeback, followed by Noda and a huge performance from Carlos Nieves (10-10). Nieves came in on fire, and along with a towering Singh at the net, they led Cisneros to their best level of play (15-10). The islanders did not stop, continuing their offensive push until they had the third set firmly in their hands at 23-17. Still, there was no room for complacency until the final 25-19. A temporary victory and the crowd at Quico Cabrera erupted with joy.

A 0-6 run to start the fourth set showed what was to come. Supported by their strong serves, WWK Volleys HERRSCHING continued to score relentlessly, with Cisneros unable to answer (5-14). Facing a high-level opponent, all that was left was to applaud and prepare for the next step. With new players like Francisco Duque and Bruno Machuca on the court, Cisneros never gave up, pushing hard, though the comeback was a difficult task (8-18). The tiebreaker loomed, and the set was defined when the visitors took it 16-25. Still, there was a lot of fight left.

Cisneros started the decisive fifth set with force, supported by Noda and Amorim (6-3). These two attackers led the charge, but they could not do it without the help of their teammates - both those on the court and those cheering from the sidelines. The teams switched sides with the islanders ahead 8-6. The Germans were not done yet, and in the blink of an eye, they turned the score around, going up 8-9. Matías Guidolin called a timeout to allow his players to regain their strength, always supported by the Tenerife crowd. The arena erupted with applause after Masià and Noda’s defensive plays that pushed Cisneros to a 13-10 lead. To cap it off, two points from Navreet sealed the 15-12 victory, causing the Quico Cabrera to explode in celebration. The Cisneros players embraced, perhaps not fully aware yet, or maybe they did, of what they had just achieved. They now have an advantage in the Round of 32 of the CEV Challenge Cup, and the task is to secure a spot in the Round of 16 in Germany. The second leg will be played next Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 pm.