Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST are the new women’s MEVZA League champions. On Thursday afternoon, the team from Hungary’s capital city celebrated an impressive 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-19) victory over regular season’s winners OK Calcit KAMNIK in the gold medal match at the Posthalle in Vienna.
In the main phase of the 2021-2022 edition, Slovenia’s reigning national champions did not suffer a single loss. Thus, the team around head coach Gregor Rozman was also the natural favourite in the grand finale. But KAMNIK, that seized the MEVZA League crown for the third time in 2020, could not live up to their role, while there was no weakness in BUDAPEST’s game. Therefore, the Hungarian side needed just 71 minutes to get its hands on the prestigious trophy for the first time.
Final Four MVP Taylor Bannister was the player of the gold medal match on 20 points, as her teammate Ayshan Abdulazimova scored 13 times. KAMNIK’s Olivera Kostic and Lucille Charuk registered 10 and 9 points, respectively. The match stats: attack 39% vs 31%, aces 7 vs 3, winning blocks 12 vs 6, reception 60% vs 52% and opponent errors 21 vs 18.
Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST head coach Ioannis Athanasopoulos: “Today, we were clearly the better team against the strongest side this season. For this reason, we deserved the title. The MEVZA League was very important for us because we do not have so many matches in Hungary. It is our first international title, so it means a lot to us.”
After losing to KAMNIK in the thrilling second semi-final on Friday night, hosts VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT also delivered a good performance in the bronze medal match against Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR. However, the Slovenian team emerged victorious with 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14) to secure third place. MARIBOR can look back on a very successful MEVZA League history, as they won the title four times between 2010 and 2015.
Monika Chrtianska (16) and Aida Mehic (13) were the top scorers for Sokol/Post, while Anamarija Galic (22) and Mirta Velikonja Grbac (17) were the most prolific players for the Slovenians. The match stats: attack 33% vs 40%, aces 3 vs 7, winning blocks 8 vs 13, reception 60% vs 62% and opponent errors 19 vs 16.
VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT head coach Zuzana Pecha-Tlstovicova: “Of course, we wanted to finish third, unfortunately we did not succeed. Today, we were a little weaker in all elements than yesterday. However, we sold ourselves very well at the Final Four tournament. Now our full focus is on the decisive phase of the Austrian Volley League.”
Women’s MEVZA League, Final Four tournament at Posthalle Vienna
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.: VB NÖ Sokol/Post SCHWECHAT (AUT) vs. Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) 1-3 (21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 14-25)
24.02., 13:00: OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) vs. Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (HUN) 0-3 (22-25, 16-25, 19-25)
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