Women’s BVA Cup starts tomorrow in Ankara

Ankara, Turkey, October 3, 2014.  The 2014 women’s BVA Cup tournament is ready to get underway in the Turkish capital Ankara.  The new Balkan club champion will be determined from October 4 through 6 at Baskent volleyball hall with the participation of three teams, which will be vying for a spot in the 2015 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Women, in addition to the annual trophy of the Balkan Volleyball Association.

The Turkish club Ilbank ANKARA is the organizer of the tournament and the big pre-favorite to win this year’s BVA Cup.  Indeed Turkish teams have won five of the six editions of the tournament so far with Ilbank itself emerging victorious two years ago, in 2012.  In the 2014 season of the Turkish domestic league the squad from Ankara finished sixth, one place higher than incumbent BVA Cup holder Besiktas ISTANBUL, which eventually reached the 2014 final of the Challenge Cup to earn the silver medals.

The only time the women’s BVA Cup was claimed by a non-Turkish team was in 2010 when Romania’s Unic PIATRA NEAMT triumphed with the trophy.  This year, Romania will be represented by CSM TARGOVISTE, which finished sixth in the 2014 national championship.

The third participant in the 2014 BVA Cup is Bulgaria’s vice champion Maritza PLOVDIV.  This will be the club’s second participation in the competition following the 2009 attempt at Balkan honors by the Yellows.

The winner of this year’s BVA Cup will join the 2015 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup from the first round where it will face Bosnia-Herzegovina’s ZOK GACKO.

2014 Women’s BVA Cup – Schedule (all matches start at 19:00 local time):

October 4:  Ilbank ANKARA - Maritza PLOVDIV

October 5:  Maritza PLOVDIV - CSM TARGOVISTE

October 6:  CSM TARGOVISTE - Ilbank ANKARA

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