Zeren Spor secured an important 3–1 victory against Germany’s SSC Palmberg Schwerin in the first leg of the 2026 CEV Zeren Group Champions League play-off round. The Turkish side took control of the tie with a composed performance at Palmberg Arena.
The visitors claimed the match in four sets, 25–21, 25–21, 21–25, and 25–14, wrapping up the contest in 109 minutes. After dropping the third set, Zeren responded strongly, dominating the fourth to seal the win.
Anna Lazareva was named Player of the Match after leading all scorers with 25 points and delivering an impressive 62 percent attack efficiency. Maja Aleksic added 12 points, while Svetlana Gatina contributed 10. For Schwerin, Mia Kirchhoff paced the home side with 16 points. Zeren also held the edge at the net, recording 11 blocks compared to Schwerin’s eight.
The return leg will be played on February 24 in Ankara. Zeren Spor needs to win at least two sets or secure any victory in the second match to advance to the next round.