Familiar foes meet once again in Pool C of the #CLVolleyW

Pool C of this season’s CEV Champions League Women sees some familiar foes face off again, while a side is looking for their maiden win and another one is making its debut, in what will bring some highly-anticipated matches.

Last season’s runners-up, Numia Vero Volley Milano, headline the pool, in their fourth consecutive appearance in the European premium competition. The Italian side, which have consolidated themselves as one of the top sides in the CEV Champions League Women, have always been eliminated by the eventual champions, but now they are looking to write their own piece of history.

In their debut, Numia Vero Volley Milano were eliminated in the quarter-finals by champions Conegliano, while in the 2022/23 season they were also eliminated in the same phase by VakifBank Istanbul, which went on to win the trophy. 

But the Italian powerhouse managed to assemble a fantastic roster, with players like Paola Egonu or Myriam Sylla, providing their best-ever performance in the European premium competition last season, when they went until the wire with Conegliano in the Super Finals, eventually conceding the final, 9:15, to lose the last act 2:3, in a dramatic turn of events.

Once again, Milano will be one of the favourites for the trophy, and for the fourth season in a row, they will face VakifBank Istanbul, Egonu’s former side, this time setting a fantastic doubleheader in the 4th round.

Nevertheless, the Turkish side, a team which won the trophy six times in the last 13 seasons, has a positive head-to-head record against Numia Vero Volley Milano, winning five out of the six mutual matches played in the previous three seasons in the European premium competition.

The two sides faced off in the 4th round last season too, when Numia Vero Volley Milano took a clear 3:0 win in Istanbul, but conceded a 2:3 loss at home, on their way of winning the pool and sending VakifBank in the play-offs, with the Turkish powerhouse eventually eliminated by reigning champions A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano in the quarter-finals.

VakifBank are still a strong side, but the Turkish powerhouse, which finished on the third place in the domestic league last season, have lost some of their shine, after key players like Gabi Guimaraes and Chiaka Ogbogu have left this summer to pastures new.

After having already missed the top-4 last season, VakifBank will be looking to bounce back, but they will need better outings in the matches against Milano, to enhance their path towards the Final Four.

The two sides look to be head and shoulders above their rivals, Calcit Kamnik and FC Porto. The Slovenian side are enjoying back-to-back seasons in the European premium competition for the first time in history, but they have never won any of the 18 matches played so far in the pool in the CEV Champions League Women.

They are also looking to become the first Slovenian team in history to win a match in the European premium competition, as they and fellow side, Nova KBM Branik Maribor, have lost all the 32 matches played between them.

The first chance for Kamnik might come against FC Porto, which will make their debut in the competition, being the second Portuguese side to play in the CEV Champions League Women, after Academico Trofa.

Porto have made it to the 4th round by eliminating Spanish side Hidramar Gran Canaria in the 3th round, after a 3:0 home win and a 3:2 away win, with their two wins propelling the Portuguese side into the pool.