Two more exciting national derbies coming up in MEVZA League

On Saturday evening, Calcit Volley KAMNIK and defending champions ACH Volley LJUBLJANA are going to clash for the second time in the 2020-2021 edition of the MEVZA League. The Slovenian derby will be taking place at Kamnik’s Sportna Dvorana. In the first encounter in mid-October, just before the Slovenian Volleyball Federation decided to stop all competitions for three weeks due the COVID-19 pandemic, ACH Volley LJUBLJANA celebrated a hard-fought 3-1 home win at the Tivoli. That match could also have ended in another direction because the third and fourth sets were highly competitive.

“In the first duel this season, we were not able to take advantage of our opportunities. However, that’s the way it is in sports. I hope that we will pay them back on home soil,” Calcit KAMNIK’s libero Miha Plot said. His team is sitting in fifth place on a 2-1 win-loss record, while ACH Volley have claimed four victories out of five MEVZA League matches they have contested so far.

Therefore, the ‘Orange Dragons’ will be aiming to close the gap on table leaders OK Merkur MARIBOR to a single point. However, the ACH Volley players had to cope with a setback, when they surprisingly lost to SK Zadruga AICH/DOB one week ago.

PHOTO © OK Calcit KAMNIK

PHOTO © OK Calcit KAMNIK

“One reason why ACH Volley LJUBLJANA in some situations do not seem as convincing as they were in previous years is because the other teams have become much stronger. If you allow them to take control, you will run into troubles very soon. Besides that, most teams are even more motivated in playing against top squads like ACH Volley,” Plot added. The 33-year-old former national team player wore ACH Volley’s jersey in 2014-2015.

The second matchup on Saturday evening will see another exciting national derby. Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT) will battle with SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT) for the third place in the current standing. The hosts were unexpectedly able to upset Austria’s heavy-weight in Bleiburg earlier this season. Thus, Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL are believing in their chances to repeat this feat on home soil as well.