The women’s MEVZA League 2021-2022 is currently reaching its climax with the highly anticipated Final Four tournament. Teams from Slovenia, Hungary and Austria are competing for the medals at the Posthalle in Vienna.
In the opening match, Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST came back from one set down against the four-time competition winners Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR to emerge victorious 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-13, 28-26). Taylor Bannister topped the charts of the best scorers on 24 points, while teammate Maria Zernovic managed to put 10 to her name. For MARIBOR, Taja Gradisnik Klanjscek (14), Mirta Velikonja Grbac and Monika Potokar (11 each) were the most prolific players in the first semi-final. The team from Hungary’s capital city already won the two encounters in the regular season against the same opposition.
Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST will be facing OK Calcit KAMNIK in the gold medal match. The Slovenian reigning national champions needed five sets to overcome hosts VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT later in the evening, winning 25-22, 25-7, 23-25, 20-25, 15-11. The underdogs were able to pose a real threat to their opponents. Olivera Kosti? (20) and Fatoumatta Sillah (18) were the best scorers for KAMNIK, while Monika Chrtianska (12) registered the most points for the hosts. Sokol/Post head coach Zuzana Pecha-Tlstovicova: “I am especially happy that we never gave up and we were able to come back after such a clear loss in the second set.”
OK Calcit KAMNIK seized the MEVZA League crown for the third time in 2020. Last season, the women’s competition took a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, KAMNIK are still the defending champions. In the regular season, they did not suffer a single loss. Thus, the team around head coach Gregor Rozman is also the natural favourite in the final against Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST.
The bronze medal match follows on Thursday at 10:30 am. “We lost 0-3 twice against MARIBOR in the regular season, but with a performance like today, a win is certainly possible”, Sokol/Post’s libero Sophie Haselsteiner said. The grand finale will start at 1 pm. After that, we will know which team will get its hands on the trophy in the 2021-2022 edition of the women’s MEVZA League!
Women’s MEVZA League, Final Four in Vienna (Posthalle)
23.02.: Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (HUN) vs. Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-13, 28-26)
23.02.: OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) vs. VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT (AUT) 3-2 (25-22, 25-7, 23-25, 20-25, 15-11)
24.02., 10:30: Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) vs. VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT (AUT) LIVESTREAM
24.02., 13:00: OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) vs. Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (HUN) LIVESTREAM
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