The CEV Champions League qualifiers delivered high drama as Dinamo Bucuresti stunned Slovenian powerhouse ACH Volley Ljubljana 3–1, while Levski Sofia pulled off a thrilling 3–2 win over MOK Mursa Osijek.
In Bucharest, ACH Volley — a team that entered the season with big expectations — found themselves outplayed by a determined Dinamo squad. The Slovenians took the first set 25–21 but soon lost control as the Romanians adjusted their rhythm. Driven by Mircea Peța — the match’s top scorer with 20 points — and a commanding net performance from Răzvan Mihalcea, who accounted for half of Dinamo’s 16 blocks, the hosts turned the tide, while Serbian opposite Petar Premović added another 16 points.
ACH Volley struggled to match the intensity, particularly in serve and attack. Tonček Štern, normally a reliable scorer, endured an off night, while Dinamo’s aggressive serving (10 aces) kept the visitors on the back foot. Despite brief resistance in the third and fourth sets, the Slovenians couldn’t find their momentum and eventually fell 1–3 (25–21, 18–25, 22–25, 20–25).
The return leg in Ljubljana on November 13 will now be decisive. To stay alive, ACH Volley must win 3–0 or 3–1 to force a Golden Set and keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Meanwhile, in Osijek, Levski Sofia fought through a five-set marathon to defeat MOK Mursa 3–2 (22–25, 25–23, 25–22, 25–27, 16–14). The Bulgarian champions showed remarkable grit, recovering from missed match points to claim a crucial away victory.
Julian Weisigk led the charge with 22 points, supported by Todor Skrimov (18) and Gordan Lyutskanov (16). Despite the hosts’ strong start, Levski held their nerve in the decisive tiebreak to complete the comeback after more than two hours of intense play.
Levski will host the return leg on November 12 in Sofia, where they’ll look to secure qualification for the third round and a potential clash with either Club Voleibol Guaguas (Las Palmas) or Olympiacos (Piraeus).
