TJ Spartak MYJAVA and VKP BRATISLAVA locked horns in the second match of the Men’s MEVZA League 2021-2022 on Friday evening. The away team celebrated a 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 24-26, 29-27) victory in the Slovakian derby to top the current charts. VKP BRATISLAVA participate in the MEVZA League for the first time since 2008. MYJAVA’s Matus Konc was the most prolific scorer on 25 points, while Daouda Yacoubou hammered 24 for the winning side.
Spartak MYJAVA head coach Martin Pipa: “We started into the game quite nervous. In the third set we were able to improve our performance. We fought in the fourth set as well, but although we were leading 22:19 the opponents played it better to the end.”
VKP Bratislava head coach Matus Kalny: “It was a valuable victory over a strong opponent. The first two sets were very good on our part, I have nothing to complain about. It’s a pity that we made unnecessary mistakes in the middle of the third set. That’s why the hosts came back into the game. In the fourth set, it could have gone either way, one point decided. It was definitely our best performance so far. Congratulations to the team!”
VKP Bratislava captain Juraj Zatko: “We are very happy about the victory. We were able to defeat a very strong opponent, what means a real encouragement for us. This win definitely motivates us for the next matches.”
Already on Thursday, last season’s Final Four hosts Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL claimed a hard-fought 3-2 (25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10) win at Austria’s national champions UVC Holding Graz in the season opener.
On Saturday evening, another derby will follow. Slovenian cup winners OK Calcit KAMNIK will be facing Slovenia’s national champions and last season’s MEVZA League runners-up OK Merkur MARIBOR. “We competed against each other in the preseason once but neither MARIBOR nor we could count on a full roster at that time. Therefore we cannot draw any conclusions from that match. No matter that, I am looking forward to the derby and I am also looking forward a lot to the spectators being back in the stands again,” KAMNIK’s middle-blocker Miha Bregar said.
MARIBOR will start their MEVZA League campaign with a newly formed squad. Rok Mozic, Alen Sket, Yevhenii Kisiliuk, Jernej Detela, Filip Uremovic and Jan Mulec have all left the club. The roster now includes Uros Pavlovic, Filip Kovacevic, Roland Gergye, Rok Bracko and Janz Janez Krzic. At KAMNIK, there have been far fewer changes. Milosz Hebda, Saso Stalekar and Rok Jeroncic left the team, making space for youngsters Nik Mujanovic, Danilo Pavlovic from Serbia and Tommi Siirilä from Finland. In addition, Matija Plesko has been at the helm of the team as their new head coach since this past May.
The Women’s season opener between VB NÖ Sokol/Post and Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST is due to follow in Vienna on October 6. The kick-off should actually have taken place in September, but a COVID-19 outbreak resulted in the postponement of four matches.
The women’s and men’s sides initially compete in a double round robin format. After the completion of main rounds, the MEVZA League will be reaching its climax with the Final Four tournaments (hosts will be announced later this year).
MEVZA League Men: UVC Holding GRAZ (AUT), SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT), Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT), HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO), OK Merkur MARIBOR (SLO), Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO), OK ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO), TJ Spartak MYJAVA (SVK), VKP BRATISLAVA (SVK)
MEVZA League Women: VB NIEDERÖSTERREICH Sokol/Post (AUT), HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO), OK Marina KAŠTELA (CRO), Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (HUN), Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO), Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO)
Live streaming of all matches is available for fans to follow the competition as closely as possible.
Men’s MEVZA League
30.09.: UVC Holding GRAZ (AUT) vs. Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT) 2-3 (23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 10-15)
01.10.: TJ Spartak MYJAVA (SVK) vs. VKP BRATISLAVA (SVK) 1-3 (21-25, 17-25, 26-24, 27-29)
02.10., 20:00: OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) vs. OK MERKUR MARIBOR (SLO)
Match schedule 2021/2022 MEVZA League Men
Match schedule 2021/2022 MEVZA League Women
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