Clear Victories From Perugia and Halkbank Against #CLVolleyM Squads, Jastrzebski Remained On Top in Poland

This weekend, the most anticipated games were held in Italy and Türkiye, where two #CLVolleyM squads faced off, but the favorites Perugia and Halkbank secured comfortable victories without any difficulties. Similarly, with a superior game from the beginning to the end, Jastrzebski secured their first position in Poland.

Two CEV Champions League Volley teams of Italy, Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia and Mint Vero Volley Monza fought against each other in the 10th round of the Italian SuperLega. In fact, the first set was quite challenging for both sides, ended with a win from Monza by 27-25. However, starting from the beginning of the second set, Perugia began their usual strong game and became victorious in the following three sets and match (3-1: 25-27, 25-15, 25-17, 25-20).

On the winning side, Simone Gianelli made an exceptional productive performance: Including four blocks, two aces, and six attack points, the Italian setter tallied a total of 12 points, which also made him the Most Valuable Player of the game. Wassim Ben Tara and Oleh Plotnytskyi were the top scorers on the court with 15 points apiece. Canadian opposite Arthur Szwarc’s 13 points were not enough for victory in Monza.

Thanks to this important victory, Perugia maintained their perfect record: By winning their tenth game as well, they continued to stay at the top of the standings with 28 points. Suffering their seventh defeat, Monza is the second-last team in the charts.

Another huge battle took place in Türkiye between the two #CLVolleyM contenders, Halkbank Ankara and Fenerbahce Medicana Istanbul. These two teams met in the eleventh week of the Turkish Efeler League and with a dominant performance from the first ball to the last, the Halkbank side completed this leg by a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-18) victory.

Czech opposite Marek Sotola and Dutch outside hitter Dick Kooy became the most scorer with 14 points each, while the Serbian opposite Drazen Luburic was the only player who scored in double digits (14 points) on the losing side.

Halkbank therefore received their ninth win and continued to lead the domestic league after the tenth round with 25 points, followed by CEV Cup squads Ziraat Bankasi Ankara and Galatasaray Istanbul, respectively.

The Polish powerhouse Jastrzebski Wegiel also played an essential match this weekend: They visited Luk Lublin in the 14th round of the Polish PlusLiga. The first set was quite exciting, and both teams put a great effort on the court, completed with a strong finish by Jastrzebski by 32-30. Lublin side also tried to play their best game, but the Jastrzebski side found the 2-0 lead in sets with a score of 25-23. The third set was way more comfortable for Jastrzebski side with taking the mental advantage as well, and they left the court with a three-set victory (3-0: 32-30, 25-23, 25-16).

French outside hitter Timothee Carle was honored with the MVP title, thanks to his 17 points, including two blocks and one ace. Polish opposite Kewin Sasak performed remarkably well throughout the game, with a 55% successful attack percentage and 19 points. Jastrzebski also preserved their top place in the domestic league standings as well with a 12-2 record, just above the other #CLVolleyM teams, Aluron CMC Warta-Zawiercie and Projekt Warszawa.

Perugia in Italy, Halkbank in Türkiye, and Jastrzebski in Poland maintained their top places in the domestic leagues by winning one of their biggest domestic rivals with comfortable performances this weekend. Now, each of the squads will once again turn their eyes on their following continental clash, since the third games of #CLVolleyM group stage will start. We will see whether these elite clubs can perform as they did this weekend, or if any surprises occur.