Maritza Plovdiv and Benfica cruised through their decisive matches to earn spots in the CEV Women’s Champions League group stage.
In Plovdiv, the Bulgarian champions were unstoppable once again. After a clean 3–0 win in Zagreb, Maritza repeated the feat at home, defeating Dinamo Zagreb 3–0 (25-13, 25-10, 25-20).
Iva Dudova led the way with 18 points and 4 aces, while Borislava Saykova (9 pts), Viktoria Koeva (8 pts), and Boryana Angelova (8 pts) added valuable support. With their trademark sharp serving and organized defense, Maritza booked a place in the group stage for the ninth consecutive season, joining Developres Rzeszów, Palmberg Schwerin, and Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud in Pool E.
Meanwhile, in Maribor, Benfica completed their mission with another confident victory. The Portuguese side defeated OTP Banka Branik 3–0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-21) after winning 3–1 in Lisbon, securing their Champions League return. Top scorers for Benfica were Cansu Cetin with 12 points, Claudia Anne Dillon and Kyra Ciara Holt added 11 each.
Despite strong resistance from Iza Mlakar, who scored 13 points for Branik, the Slovenian team couldn’t overcome Benfica’s balance and experience.
