Numia Vero Volley Milano Triumphs Over VakifBank Istanbul in Front of 4,000 Fans
In an electrifying showdown at the Palalido in Milan, Numia Vero Volley Milano overcame Turkish powerhouse VakifBank Istanbul 3-1 (25-21, 16-25, 25-22, 25-19) in the final matchday of Pool C in the CEV Champions League. The victory was bittersweet for the Milanese squad, who tied VakifBank on points but fell short of direct qualification to the quarterfinals due to a second-set loss. Instead, they face an additional playoff against Germany’s Palmberg Schwerin.
The match saw stellar performances from MVP Alessia Orro, who orchestrated a well-rounded attack, with Egonu (20 points), Daalderop (16), Sylla (15), and Danesi (10) all hitting double figures. Despite VakifBank’s efforts, led by Markova’s impressive 23 points, Milano’s grit and determination carried the day.
The game’s drama played out across four tense sets. After a tight opening set won by Milano, VakifBank responded dominantly in the second. The third and fourth sets, however, were controlled by the home side, spurred on by clutch plays from Sylla and Daalderop. The home crowd of 4,349 erupted as Daalderop sealed the win in style.
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Calcit Kamnik’s European Dream Ends in Heartbreaking Fashion
Meanwhile, Calcit Kamnik suffered a gut-wrenching 2-3 loss (28-26, 25-17, 28-30, 15-25, 20-22) to Porto in Ljubljana, missing their chance to progress to the CEV Cup. The Slovenian team had been in control, winning the first two sets and leading 21-17 in the third, only to falter in a dramatic turnaround.
Mistakes in the lineup at the start of the fourth set compounded their woes, leading to confusion that Porto capitalized on to force a decisive tie-break. Kamnik had multiple match points in the fifth set but failed to convert, allowing Porto to clinch the win and eliminate Kamnik from European competition.
