Grupa Azoty Chemik Police can still count on advancing to the next phase of the 2023 CEV Women’s Volleyball Champions League.
Last night, one team earned its qualification for the quarterfinals of the CEV Champions League Volley 2023 | Women, while five more secured their berths in the playoffs for now.
Today, Grupa Azoty Chemik Police defeated Maritza Plovdiv 3-0 on the road in the match of the fifth round of the CEV Champions League Volley 2023 | Women. Hardly anyone expected a surprise in Bulgaria. The hosts are the weakest team in Pool E and haven’t won a single set yet. And once again, Maritza were ashamed. Just like in the last round against Turkey’s Eczacıbaşı Dynavit İstanbul, they couldn’t reach double digits in one of the sets. Today, the Polish champions allowed them to earn nine points in the second set. Brazilian Maira Cipriano topped Chemik with 10 points, which was the output of Maritza’s Iva Dudova. If Eczacıbaşı defeat Romania’s C.S.M. Târgoviște tomorrow, Chemik’s path to playoffs will be assured.
France’s Volero Le Cannet played against Romania’s CS Volei Alba Blaj to stay alive for direct promotion to the quarterfinals as their playoff spot was already safe. Given they prevailed 3-1, they’ll play against Italy’s Vero Volley Milano in the last round for a top spot in Pool B. Russian prodigy Vita Akimova tallied 32 points on the winning side. Her compatriot Anna Kotikova made 72% reception (18 digs, 50% excellent), while another Russian player, Elizaveta Kochurina, had 77% attack (10/13). Serb Bojana Milenković scored 19 points for Alba.
In a very intense Pool D match in Germany, the home team of Allianz MTV Stuttgart (American Krystal Rivers scored 31 points; Dutch Eline Timmerman made six blocks) took down ŁKS Commercecon Łódź (Italian Valentina Diouf scored 30) 3-2. Stuttgart rose to first place in the pool, pushing their today’s rials to second place as they both have 10 points. This outcome complicates the situation in the pool, given that Turkey’s Fenerbahçe Opet İstanbul have a chance (which they’ll most likely take) to tie with Stuttgart and ŁKS at 10 points if they beat Spain’s Tenerife La Laguna tomorrow. This means that Stuttgart, ŁKS, and Fenerbahçe all have equal chances of earning a direct qualification but also falling to third place and potentially getting eliminated.
CEV Champions League Volley 2023 | Women, group stage, Round 5:
