The 2020/2021 season of the men’s MEVZA League kicked already off this past Monday. After a six months break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, defending champions ACH Volley LJUBLJANA needed four sets on home ground to edge their Slovenian compatriots OK Merkur MARIBOR (21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21) in the season opener. Bozidar Vucicevic top scored for the ten-time MEVZA league winners with 18 points, while Ahmed Ikhbayri from the away side put 24 points to his name with an impressive 53% attack percentage.
PHOTO © CEV
There are two fixtures scheduled for the upcoming weekend. On Saturday, OK Merkur MARIBOR will face Calcit Volley KAMNIK in another Slovenian derby. CEV Champions League participants ACH Volley will be back in action on Sunday hosting MEVA League debutants UVC Holding GRAZ. “We are well prepared for the new season and we feel ready to start. It will be a tough test for us, but we have nothing to lose in Slovenia,” Robert Koch, head coach of the Austrian team, explained.
The 2021 MEVZA League features seven men’s elite teams representing three countries. Alongside ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO), OK Merkur MARIBOR (SLO), Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO) and UVC Holding GRAZ (AUT), SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT), Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT) and HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) are competing in a double round robin format. After completion of the main round, the MEVZA League will be reaching its climax with the Final Four tournament scheduled for the last weekend of February.
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