Challenge Cup: Calzedonia hosts Arago de Sete
2016 DenizBank Champions League
While Rzeszow is already qualified for the Final Four as organizers of the event, 12 teams coming out of the League Round will fight it out in the playoffs 12 in home and away games.
The first one to get on court will be Civitanova on Tuesday night. They’re travelling to Izmir, currently second in the Turkish league and qualified by finishing second of its group behind Belgorod in Pool A. Tied at the top of the SuperLega (though second on set difference), Civitanova will meet up with two former stars of the Italian League: Brazilian spiker Joao Paulo Bravo, who spent four years in Piacenza and one in Vibo Valentia, and French outside hitter Rouzier Antonin who wore the Cuneo shirt in 2013-14. Miljkovic and co will try their best to do something they failed to in the past two years: qualify into the playoffs 6.
Recently crowned Italian Cup winner, Modena will have the tough task to take on another Turkish side, Halkbank Ankara. The latter finished second of its group behind Kazan and it is currently top of the Turkish league with a six-point advantage on the runner-up. Lorenzetti’s men will need to show character and confidence against a team led by a top coach like Lorenzo Bernardi and some super stars like Dragan Travica, former Italian international and Modena setter, and Tsvetan Sokolov, who spent four years at Trento and one in Cuneo. There are more quality players with Italian experience like Kevin Le Roux, at Piacenza until last season, and the Dutch spiker Dick Kooy, in Modena from 2009 to 2012.
Trentino’s mission looks a little less daunting. Stoytchev’s men take on the Belgium vice-champion, Asse-Lennik, who lost the national title game against Roeselare last season. Currently top of the league, they finished second of Pool G. Their main strengths will come from the Dutch outside hitter Overbeeke, the experienced setter Depestele, Dutch spiker Andringa and Spanish middle blocker Sugranes. In its last participation into the Champions League, Trento had made its way into the Playoffs 6 by knocking out another Belgium team, Noliko Maaseik. And that’s on the neutral court of Maaseik that Trento will play this first leg (the Deurne court is not available).
The Champions League on TV
All the games are on live streaming on www.laola1.tv
PlayOffs 12, the draw
Tours Vb (FRA) – Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
Arkas Izmir (TUR) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA)
Skra Belchatow (POL) – Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (TUR)
Volley Asse-Lennik (BEL) – Trentino Diatec (ITA)
Lots Trefl Gdansk (POL) – Zenit Kazan (RUS)
Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – DHL Modena (ITA)
Fixtures
CEV Champions League
PlayOffs12 first leg
Tuesday 16 February at 6pm (Italian time)
Arkas Izmir (TUR) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) Live on Fox Sports HD
Wednesday 17 February at 4.30pm (Italian time)
Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – DHL Modena (ITA) Live on Fox Sports HD
Wednesday 17 February at 8.30pm
Volley Asse-Lennik (BEL) – Trentino Diatec (ITA) Live on Fox Sports HD
PlayOffs12 return leg
Wednesday 2 March at 8.30pm
Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) – Arkas Izmir (TUR)
(Krticka-Nastase)
Thursday 3 March at 8.30pm
Trentino Diatec (ITA) – Volley Asse-Lennik (BEL)
(Herbik-Ormonde)
DHL Modena (ITA) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR)
(Oleynik-Mitev)
2016 CEV Cup
Perugia gets ready for a thrilling double header with Dinamo Moscow in the CEV Cup challenge round. The draw carried out in Luxembourg has definitely not been kind to Kovac’s men. Moscow is simply the best teams of the draw, currently second of the Russian league and coming down from the Champions League as worst second placed team. Indeed, the Challenge Round puts face to face the four teams who survived thus far in the CEV Cup against the four best teams that did not make it in the Champions League playoffs 12. Dinamo counts in its roster the Italian international Ivan Zaytsev as spiker, middle blocker Philip Holt, who spent four years in Italy with Verona and Piacenza, and Yuri Berezhko, in Modena in 2010-11. Kovac’s men have been perfect so far in the competition, with six wins in as many games. They’ll play home first. The one to go through will take on the winner of Lugano (Switzerland) versus Surgut (Russia).
Challenge Round draw
Sir Safety-Sicoma Perugia (ITA) – Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
Cai Teruel (ESP) – Knack Roeselare (BEL)
VaLePa Sastamala (FIN) – Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER)
#Dragons Lugano (SUI) – Gazprom-Ugra Surgut (RUS)
Fixtures
CEV Cup
Challenge Round first leg
Thursday 18 February at 8.30pm
Sir Safety-Sicoma Perugia (ITA) – Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
(Georgouleas-Bensimon)
Challenge Round return leg
Wednesday 2 March at 5pm (Italian time)
Dinamo Moscow (RUS) – Sir Safety-Sicoma Perugia (ITA)
(Cambre-Burkiewicz)
2016 Challenge Cup
Beaten twice in a row in the SuperLega by Padova and Civitanova, Verona is back in Europe where it has gathered six comfortable wins so far. In the quarter-finals they will take on Sete, who currently stands top of the French league in front of Tours. Sete shows its patriotic edge with only two foreigners in the squad: Spanish setter Guillermo Hernan, and Argentine spiker Nicolas Marcelo Mendez. The French begun the year in the CEV Cup but their run was immediately stopped by the Fins of Tiikerit Kokkola and their Challenge Cup campaign started. They have disposed of the Austrians of VCA Amstetten Nö and then the Serbians of Crvena Zvezda Beograd to get this far. Verona will host the first leg. The winner will either face the Greeks of Ethnikos Alexandroupolis or the Portuguese of Benfica Lisboa.
Quarter-final draw
Lokomotiv Kharkiv (UKR) – Fakel Novi Urengoy (RUS)
Asul Lyon Métropole (FRA) – Prefaxis Menen (BEL)
Benfica Lisboa (POR) – Ethnikos Alexandroupolis (GRE)
Calzedonia Verona (ITA) – Arago de Sete (FRA)
Fixtures
2016 Challenge Cup
Quarter-final first leg
Wednesday 17 February at 7.30pm
Calzedonia Verona (ITA) – Arago de Sete (FRA)
(Sikanjic-Richter)
Quarter-final return leg
Wednesday 2 March at 8pm
Arago de Sete (FRA) – Calzedonia Verona (ITA)
(Hoger-Seifried)
