Emalsa GRAN CANARIA seal their spot in #CEVChallengeCupW 8th Finals

On Thursday night, Emalsa GRAN CANARIA booked their place in the 8th Finals of the women’s CEV Challenge Cup 2026 following another solid performance resulting in a 3-0 victory (30-28, 25-23, 25-17) over Switzerland’s VBC CHESEAUX. The Swiss side performed well in every set but could not overcome a disciplined home team that proved more accurate in the key moments. The Gran Canaria side will now meet Croatia’s OK Nebo ZAPREŠIĆ – winners against Ukraine’s SC BALTA – in the next round, which is scheduled for January 2026.

The early stages of the match were marked by a close exchange of points (7-7). However, VBC CHESEAUX tightened up from the service line and, with a couple of outstanding defensive plays, opened the first real gap on the scoreboard (14-9). However, after this setback, the hosts stepped up their serving pressure and improved at the net to close the gap even though they still trailed by three points at 14-17. Emalsa continued to grow, and with Saray Manzano’s powerful serve, they pulled back to within one (16-17). In a very tight final stretch, it was the Gran Canaria team that proved more accurate, taking a first set that either side could have won (30-28).

Despite the setback, the Swiss came out stronger in the next set and took the lead first (6-3). However, once the hosts felt more settled at the net, they levelled the match with a pair of blocks. The lead in the score continued to change back and forth  up to 13-13, but once again, by applying pressure from the service line, the locals regained control (19-17). VBC CHESEAUX refused to give in as they pushed to level the match, but the hosts once again prevailed in another tight set (25-23) - and, in doing so, secured their progression to the next round after their 3-0 win in the first leg played last week in Switzerland. 

With their place in the Round of 16 already assured, Emalsa took the chance to rotate the lineup, bringing on less frequent starters such as Fernanda Maida, Alejandra Pavón Becerra, Inés Ignacio, and Jéssica Goyanes – who made her season debut – and yet they maintained the team’s level all the way to the final 25-17.