HAOK Mladost took a strong first step toward the CEV Cup quarterfinals with a 3–1 home win over Moya Radomka Radom in Zagreb. Despite illness affecting the squad in the days leading up to the match, the Croatian side delivered an energetic performance, winning 25-14, 18-25, 25-19, 25-13 in front of their home crowd at the Home of Volleyball Bojan Stranić. Captain Ana Ištuk led the way with 19 points, while Leonarda Grabić added 18, as Mladost used strong blocking and serving to take control after dropping the second set. The return leg in Poland is scheduled for Tuesday, 13 January.
In other match of the day, Volleyball Mulhouse Alsace continued their impressive continental form with a convincing away victory over Békéscsabai Röplabda SE in Hungary 1-3 (28-26, 15-25, 11-25, 15-25). After losing a dramatic opening set, Mulhouse raised their level and dominated the remainder of the match, extending their winning streak to 20 games in all competitions and their total European victories to 52. The French side will look to confirm qualification in the return match next week, on Wednesday, January 14.