With the MEVZA League season opener just a few days away, the participating teams are finalising their preparations. This past weekend, two international pre-season tournaments took place in Slovenia.
OK Maribor emerged victorious from the “31. Skerbinjekov Memorial”. The 2019 MEVZA League men’s contestants and tournament’s hosts initially defeated VBC Weiz of Austria in five sets. In the final encounter, they cruised to a straight-sets win over another Slovenian team, OK Hoce.
A women’s preseason tournament took place in Kamnik. Alongside hosts Calcit Volley, the Kamnik Cup featured Hungarian’s Fatum Nyiregyhaza and Croatia’s national champions Mladost Zagreb. Both Calcit Volley and Mladost will participate in the upcoming MEVZA League season. Therefore, this tournament represented a perfect opportunity to hone their skills. Calcit needed five sets to overcome Fatum Nyiregyhaza in the opener, while Mladost beat the Hungarian team in four sets. However, the Slovenians took the decider against Zagreb with 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23) to top the charts of the tournament.
On Sunday, last season’s runners-up in Austria’s DenizBank AG Volley League, Union Raiffeisen Waldviertel started their national campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 27-29, 15-12) away win at UVC Holding Graz. URW will return on court very soon, facing TLC Weiz. 2019 MEVZA League men’s silver medallists and Austria’s dominant squad in recent years, SK Zadruga Aich/Dob will be playing VCA Amstetten on Wednesday as well.
The forthcoming MEVZA League features eight men’s and seven women’s elite teams representing four countries. The men’s kick-off will be taking place on Saturday while the women’s season opener is due to follow a week later, October 12. The women’s and men’s sides initially compete in a double round robin format. After the main rounds, the MEVZA League reaches its climax with the Final Four tournaments in February and March (hosts will be announced in late October).
31. Skerbinjekov Memorial
Semifinals
OK Hoce (SLO) vs. OK Panvita Pomgrad (SLO) 3:2
OK Maribor (SLO/MEVZA) vs. VBC Weiz (AUT) 3:2
Bronze medal match
OK Panvita Pomgrad (SLO) vs. VBC Weiz (AUT) 3-2 (20-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-12)
Final match
OK Maribor (SLO/MEVZA) vs. OK Hoce (SLO) 3:0 (26:24, 25:21, 25:13)
Standings
1. OK Maribor (SLO/MEVZA)
2. OK Hoce (SLO)
3. VBC Weiz (AUT)
4. OK Panvita Pomgrad (SLO)
Kamnik Cup
Calcit Volley Kamnik (SLO/MEVZA) vs. Fatum Nyiregyhaza (HUN) 3-2 (18-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-7)
Mladost Zagreb (CRO/MEVZA) vs. Fatum Nyiregyhaza (HUN) 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21).
Calcit Volley Kamnik (SLO/MEVZA) vs. Mladost Zagreb (CRO/MEVZA) 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-23)
Standings
1. Calcit Volley Kamnik (SLO/MEVZA)
2. Mladost Zagreb (CRO/MEVZA)
3. Fatum Nyiregyhaza (HUN)
Middle European League Women 2019-20
Teams
UOK BANJALUKA Volley (BIH)
ZOK Bimal Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH)
HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO)
OK KAŠTELA (CRO)
Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO)
GEN-I Volley (SLO)
Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO)
Schedule
12.10., 17:00: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. HOK KASTELA (CRO)
12.10., 18:00: Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) vs. Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO)
12.10., 19:00: ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRCKO (BIH) vs. UOK Banjaluka Volley BANJA LUKA (BIH)
Middle European League Men 2019-20
Teams
SK Posojilnica AICH/DOB (AUT)
Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT)
OK Mladost BRCKO (BIH)
HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO)
OK Mladost Ribola KASTELA (CRO)
ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO)
Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO)
OK MARIBOR (SLO)
Schedule
05.10., 18:00: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. OK Mladost Ribola KASTELA (CRO)
05.10., 18:00: ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO) vs. Calcit Volley KAMNIK (SLO)
05.10., 19:00: SK Posojilnica AICH/DOB (AUT) vs. Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT)
PHOTO © CEV
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