Luxembourg, November 6, 2018. The quest for a spot in the group stage of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women resumes on Wednesday with two 3rd Round fixtures. Last year’s silver medallists CSM Volei Alba BLAJ of Romania host Germany’s Allianz MTV STUTTGART while Poland’s Budowlani LODZ take on France’s ASPTT MULHOUSE VB. There is already much at stake even ahead of the return matches coming up next week with the eventual winners of these double headers qualifying for the 4th Round where they will be joining Europe’s top 18 teams. Make sure you follow the CEV’s social media channels for further updates under the official hashtag #CLVolleyW!
CSM Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU) vs. Allianz MTV STUTTGART (GER)
Last year’s silver medal winners CSM Volei Alba BLAJ of Romania could go for a repeat of the 2018 gold medal match with VakifBank ISTANBUL if they edge their German opponent in the 3rd Round. The side emerging victorious from this double header will indeed move to Pool A for the 4th Round of the competition, playing there titleholders VakifBank as well as BEZIERS VB of France and Bulgaria’s Maritza PLOVDIV.
The organisers expect many fans to flock to Transilvania Hall on Wednesday night so that the home team will enjoy the perfect ambiance to make it a step further towards reaching the pool stage of Europe’s elite club competition.
CSM Volei Alba BLAJ have a perfect record of four wins in as many matches they have contested this season so far – two in the CEV Volleyball Champions League and another two in the Romanian national league.
Darko Zakoč, head coach of CSM Volei Alba BLAJ: “We have played four official matches since the start of the season and I think we have found our rhythm. I hope the team is more homogeneous and I would say that we have fixed the problems one could see in our previous matches. We are not yet at the top, but there is no time and we have to be ready for Wednesday’s match, especially since our first goal this season is to be playing in the pool stage of the Champions League. We know the German team, and since the Drawing of Lots back in June we knew we would be playing against them. It is a valuable team with some very good American players, but as you know me, I treat the game according to my team, not the opponent and we have to raise our level of play for Wednesday’s match.”
Nneka Onyejekwe, team captain of CSM Volei Alba BLAJ: “Wednesday’s match will be a tough one. I know that STUTTGART have a more valuable team than our previous opponent, VK UP OLOMOUC, but this will be a challenge for us and so we will see which level we can reach at this stage of the season. I am aware that the time spent together is too short and even though I think we are individually a class above them, but the performance of the team is what matters in the end and we still have to work on certain aspects. I hope that until Wednesday we can improve our game even if the tight schedule we have does not allow us so much time, but I trust my team and those who prepare it and promise only that we will fight and we will try to play a good game.”
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