"We are now beyond the status of awe", SVG Luneburg gets Ready for CEV Cup Final
News
SVG Lüneburg, its fans and many other sports fans are eagerly awaiting something very special: A local team has never fought for a European title before. With the first leg of the CEV Cup final this Tuesday (7 pm CET) in the LKH Arena, the club is entering the history books.
However, a more emotional event than the magnificent 3:0 in the semi-final against Izmir almost two weeks ago and 15:8 in the Golden Set hardly seems possible. Especially as the opponent is now one level higher on the volleyball shelf: Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, from the strong Polish PlusLiga, from which SVG also hosted Jastrzebski Wegiel in this fantastic season.
Rzeszów signed seven new players before the season, including some top-class players, to finally extend their collection of seven championships and three cup wins after a long break - most recently in 2015. Especially as top players such as middle blocker Jan Kozamernik (Slovenia), outside attackers Thibault Rosard (France) and Mauricio Borges (Brazil) and diagonal player Maciej Muzaj (Polish former international) also left.
The squad was at least upgraded in the diagonal attack position with the arrival of Frenchman Stephen Boyer, previously champion and Champions League finalist with Jastrzebski Wegiel and named best server and best diagonal player in the PlusLiga.
Squad with world and Olympic champions
One of Boyer's compatriots and, like him, a 2021 Olympic champion in Tokyo, also found his way to last year's third-placed team: Outside attacker Yacine Louati from Fenerbahce Istanbul, who previously played in Poland (Wegiel) and also netted in Italy and Belgium in addition to his native France. The 32-year-old has strengths in attack, reception and serve in equal measure and has also collected personal awards in all elements in addition to titles.
Also new is middle blocker Karol Klos, who moved to Belchatow after 13 years of success and is part of the so-called "golden generation" that dominated volleyball in Poland in the 2010s. He was also captain of the team that became world champions in 2014 and 2018, although he was absent in 2018. However, the 34-year-old is now back, was runner-up again in the 2022 World Cup and won the Nations League with Poland last year and became European champion.
At his side in the middle block, also in the national team, is Jakub Kochanowski, another big name (since 2021), world champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2022, European champion and VNL winner in 2023. Together with Norbert Huber (Wegiel) and Mateusz Bieniek (Zawiercie), Kochanowski and Klos will probably also be seen at the Olympic Games in the summer. Kochanowski just made his comeback at the weekend after a long injury break. The 26-year-old is capable of performances similar to Huber's in December in the LKH Arena, when he scored 18 of SVG's 21 attacks (19 points in total).
Slovakia's Klemen Cebulj, who arrived from Italy in 2020, is also a key player for his country. The 32-year-old wing attacker was instrumental in the three European Championship runners-up finishes in 2015, 2019 and 2021, as well as third place last year. In 2022, he gained a new competitor in Torey Defalco, who had just come to the fore as the top scorer in the PlusLiga for the gray mouse AZS Olsztyn. The 26-year-old was already a permanent fixture in the US national team, finishing as runner-up in the 2022 World Cup and second in the 2023 Nations League, and then booking an Olympic ticket with the USA.
High level even behind the superstar
Behind all the superstars listed, there are many strong players in the squad who keep the competition high and get regular and plenty of playing time. Prominent additions, at least in Poland, include Adrian Staszewski (outside hitter) and Krzysztorf Rejno (middle block), two veterans who have already won the Champions League with ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle, among others. Rotation is a recurring theme for coach Giampaolo Medei (Italy), who even gives highly decorated but older players such as libero Pawel Zatorski and setter Fabian Drzyzga a breather.
"It's a really broad and deep squad, so you never know who will play," said Stefan Hübner, who knows that he will have to prepare his men with a few more options than against Izmir, whose starting six was pretty set. However, one reason for the rotation is probably also that Rzeszów has focused on international business from a certain point in the season and, currently fourth in the league, 15 points behind Jastrzebski Wegiel, have often played the second and third sets from their 16-man squad - plus talented youngsters.
"But what are we talking about compared to our young team? That's a blatant level in Poland, even with the supposed supplementary players, who are all very experienced," Hübner clarifies. "Actually, it's still hard to believe that we've reached the final. The youngsters have earned this amazing game and should enjoy it. We want to take it as easy as possible, but also try to step on the gas again." He expects his opponents to field their best line-up, i.e. Drzyzga as setter, Boyer as diagonal attacker, Klos and Kochanowski in the middle block, Louati and Defalco (or Cebulj) on the outside and libero Zatorski.
"But we don't need to be in awe, we've moved beyond that status after a few matches against top international opponents," says Hübner, who also knows what his team is capable of. And he hopes to be able to field the full squad again "The main aim must be to keep the sets close. We've seen in the past, for example when we won the set here at home against Wegiel, that something can happen." With these fans and the atmosphere in this arena anyway, it should be added.