Preview: Quest for Final Four spots entering decisive stage

The MEVZA League will resume with as many as six matchups on Saturday. In the women’s competition the confident leaders in the current standing Nova, KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) will be hoping to extend their winning streak to eight matches in a row against hosts OK KASTELA (CRO). Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) will welcome the second-placed Final Four tournament hosts GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA (SLO), while Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) are going to lock horns with ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH) for a top-3 spot in the table.

PHOTO © OK NOVA KBM BRANIK MARIBOR

In the men’s MEVZA League, defending champions and competition leaders ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) will host OK MARIBOR (SLO) in a national derby. Earlier this week, ACH Volley celebrated an impressive 3-2 home win in the second leg of the CEV Champions League group stage against Kuzbass KEMEROVO from Russia. Last season’s runners-up SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT), on the other hand, boosted their self-confidence with an away victory in a CEV Cup tie-breaker with VK OSTRAVA. Austria’s dominant squad of the past two years will face bottom of the table OK Mladost BRCKO (BIH).

Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) are going to compete with Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT). Croatia’s reigning national champions sit in fourth place one point behind AICH/DOB and dead level with Mladost Ribola KASTELA (CRO). These three teams are currently battling hard for a spot in the Final Four tournament, which WALDVIERTEL will be hosting in early March.

On December 21, OK MARIBOR (SLO) will face second-placed Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) in the last MEVZA League match before the Christmas break.

MEVZA League Women

14.12., 17:00: HOK KASTELA (CRO) vs. Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO)
14.12., 19:00: Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) vs. ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH)
14.12., 19:30: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA (SLO)

MEVZA League Men

14.12., 17:00: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT)
14.12., 18:00: ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) vs. OK MARIBOR (SLO)
14.12., 19:00: SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT) vs. OK Mladost BRCKO (BIH)

SPORTLIVE