Weekend preview: ACH Volley’s closest pursuers Mladost and Calcit Volley to clash in Zagreb

The MEVZA League is going to continue with seven very interesting matchups later this week. The men’s competition will see the clash of the closest pursuers of titleholders and current table leaders ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO), when Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) host second-placed Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) Saturday evening. Mladost’s players currently have to cope with a setback. This past Wednesday, Croatia’s national champions suffered a disappointing 0-3 loss at the hands of Benfica LISBOA in the third CEV Champions League round.

PHOTO © Calcit Volley KAMNIK

Two more fixtures are scheduled for Saturday: last season’s silver-medallists SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT) are aiming to defend the fourth place in the standing against OK MARIBOR (SLO) at the JUFA-Arena Bleiburg, while rookies and bottom of the table Mladost BRCKO (BIH) will welcome Mladost Ribola KASTELA (CRO). Both sides as well as SK AICH/DOB and OK MARIBOR have a 2-3 win-loss record this far.

On Sunday, ACH Volley will meet underdogs Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT) at Ljubljana’s Tivoli Hall. Slovenia’s multiple national champions have already contested seven matches in this year’s competition, topping the charts with a 5-2 win-loss record.

The women’s MEVZA League is going to resume on Friday night, when ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH) host OK KASTELA (CRO). Both teams have won two games out of five but the newcomers from Bosnia and Herzegovina have secured three points more. “We are rookies in a very high-quality competition, but we have already proved ourselves that we can handle it. Now, we welcome a team that achieved an outstanding result (3-1 vs. Calcit Volley) in the previous round. However, I believe, with the support from the stands, we can present ourselves in the best way and achieve a positive result”, Bimal-Jedinstvo head coach Smail Pezerovic is confident for the challenge lying ahead.

PHOTO © ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO

Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) will stand the chance to clinch the top spot of the table with a win over Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) on home soil this coming Saturday.

Bottom of the standing UOK Banjaluka Volley BANJA LUKA (BIH) and third-placed GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA (SLO) will end the first half of the women’s main round on Sunday night. The hosts have not collected a single point for the standing in five matches they have contested so far.

Current competition leaders Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) have their bye week. Therefore, they run the risk of dropping to second place behind their national rivals Calcit Volley.

Men’s MEVZA League, week 8

23.11., 18:00: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO)
23.11., 19:00: OK Mladost BRCKO (BIH) vs. OK Mladost Ribola KASTELA (CRO)
23.11., 19:00: SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT) vs. OK MARIBOR (SLO)

round 13

24.11., 17:00: ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) vs. Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL

Women’s MEVZA League, week 7

22.11., 19:00: ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH) vs. HOK KASTELA (CRO)
23.11., 19:00: Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) vs. HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO)
24.11., 19:00: UOK Banjaluka Volley BANJA LUKA (BIH) vs. GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA (SLO)

CEV European Cups (fixtures MEVZA countries this week)

CEV Champions League

Men, 3rd round, home match
20.11.: Benfica Lisboa (POR) vs. Mladost Zagreb (CRO) 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-22)

Women, Pool B, round 1
20.11.: Lokomotiv Kaliningrad Region (RUS) vs. Nova KBM Branik Maribor (SLO) 3-0 (25:18, 25:14, 25:11)
19.11.: A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano (ITA) vs. Vasas Obuda Budapest (HUN) 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-10, 23-25, 15-4)

CEV Challenge Cup

Women, 2nd round, away match
19.11.: THY Istanbul (TUR) vs. 1.MCM-Diamant Kaposvari (HUN) 3-1 (23-25, 25-9, 25-9, 25-21)
20.11.: VTC Pezinok (SVK) vs. SIP Sempeter (SLO) 0-3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-27)

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