Even though 3 more matches are to be played tomorrow to complete the group stage of the 2022 CEV Men’s Volleyball Champions League, the names of all 8 participants of the playoffs were determined at the end of today’s encounters.
The 4 new participants to the CEV Champions League Volley 2022 | Men playoffs were added to the 4 that secured their slots earlier (Lube, Perugia, Jastrzębski, and Dinamo Moscow).
In an away match of Pool C, Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle (ZAKSA) defeated Cucine Lube Civitanova 3-2. This match was supposed to be a do-or-die to the titleholders. However, the news during the first set changed everything for the Poles. The victory of Bulgaria’s Hebar Pazardzhik over Belgium’s Knack Roeselare, which was an unexpected result, made ZAKSA sure of being in the Top-8 as one of the top 3 runners-up regardless of the result against the Italian champions. This fact didn’t ’kill’ the pace of the game, which had a tie-break. Kamil Semeniuk top-scored ZAKSA with 24 points through 74% attack (20/27). Norbert Huber set up 4 blocks.
Even though we’re talking of, hand on heart, the weakest pool of all, hats off to Germany’s Berlin Recycling Volleys who topped Pool D with today’s win over Russia’s Zenit Saint Petersburg and secured a slot in the quarter-finals. Actually, for the first time in their club history, the side from the German capital are the group winners. They staged a memorable comeback from 0-2 to 3-2. The team of the head coach Cédric Énard can now look forward to a ’bonus’ game tomorrow in the same location and against the same rival without being in any danger of dropping No.1 in the pool. Given that Turkey’s Ziraat Bankası Ankara lost to Russia’s Dinamo Moscow, this defeat won’t cost Zenit anything, so tomorrow’s clash against Berlin will be of no significance to them too – they are through to the Top-8 as one of the runners-up.
AS Cannes Dragons imposed themselves as hard opponents, but Trentino Itas fulfilled their goal for which they came to France for Pool E’s encounter. Thanks to a 3-1 victory, Angelo Lorenzetti’s guys claimed No.2 in Pool E and are ranked among the best 3 runners-up across all pools without a chance to drop below, i.e. the Italians made it to the quarter-finals as the 2nd-ranked runner-up.
At home but as nominal guests in Pool A’s match, as we already mentioned, Hebar dispelled all hopes of Roeselare to reach the playoffs after turning the match around from 2 sets down. Belgians needed two wins against Hebar (their next mutual encounter is scheduled for tomorrow) and some other results to fit in to qualify for the next stage. Now, it’s all over for them.
Dinamo Moscow were merciless over Turkey’s Ziraat, who dropped the last chance of qualifying for the playoffs by losing 0-3 in the Russian capital in Pool B. Dinamo recorded 6 wins in as many games, just like Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia in Pool E, with the difference that the Italian side didn’t concede a single set.
The list of the teams that will play the quarter-finals:
Pool winners: Jastrzębski, Dinamo Moscow, Lube, Berlin, and Perugia.
Best 3 runners-up: ZAKSA, Trentino, and Zenit.
CEV Champions League Volley 2022 | Men – group stage (today’s matches):
