CEV: 2015-2016 European Competition Kick-Off
CEV Champions League
Arkas Izmir 3 - Berlin Recycling Volleys 2
Kawika Shoji scored 10 points and set Arkas to victory over his former club (not to mention his brother) in their 3-2 win over Berlin to kick off the Champions League Photo: CEV Champions League
Coach Hoag’s Arkas squad is leaving Berlin happy after stealing a couple of points from the Recycling Volleys on Wednesday with a 3-2 win (25-27, 25-18, 25-22, 13-25, 15-12) to open CEV Champions League action
The Turkish club was led by French opposite Antonin Rouzier with a match-high 28-points while Gökhan Gökgöz added 19. Australian Paul Carrol led the way for Berlin with 21 points while Robert Kromm paced him with 19.
It was also a battle of brothers, as Kawika Shoji returned to his former club to face his brother Erik Shoji. Kawika stole the show this time, with five aces, three kills and two blocks to lead his team to victory.
Graham Vigrass (Calgary, AB) was also stepped up for Izmir, scoring five points while playing in all five sets.
Both teams will play their next Champions League match on November 17th, with Arkas hosting Marek Union-Ivkoni Dupnitsa and Berlin travelling to Russia to face Belogorie Belgorod.
Ziraat Bankasi Ankara 3 - Paris Volley 0
Paris Volley made the trip to Turkey to take on Ziraat Banks Ankara and come home empty handed after a disappointing performance - a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-16) loss.
It was a match led by long stars, with all three top players under the age of 25. Nick Hoag (Sherbrooke, QC) led the way for the French squad with 9 points, but he was outpaced by Turkish star Baturalp Burak Güngör and up-and-coming Portuguese outside Alexandre Ferreira, who both clocked in 13.
The Anakara’s serve-block game was impeccable, outscoring Paris 6-1 in serves and 11-0 in blocking.
Things don’t get any easier for Paris either, as the play host to Dinamow Moscow on the 17th while Ankara travel to Germany to face VfB Friedrichshafen.
CEV Cup
SWD Powervolleys Düren 3 - ASUL Lyon 0
The Powervolleys have lift-off in European competition as the defended their homeport with a big 3-0 win over Lyon.
Rudy Verhoeff (Calgary, AB) was solid in the match with six kills and a block, while Blair Bann (Edmonton, AB) continues to anchor the back row. Jan-Philipp Marks led the way for the Germans in the win with 14 points, while Lyon, without their star Vladimir Nikolov, had every member of the squad get on the board with seven different players scoring four points or more.
Round two heads back to Lyon on November 18th.
Gazprom-Urga Surgut 3 - Abiant Lycurgus Groningen 0
Chris Voth scored 12 points for Lycurgus of The Netherlands in their 3-0 loss to Surgut in the CEV Cup. Photo: CEV Cup
Chris Voth (Winnipeg, MB) and Jay Blankenau (Calgary, AB) and Abiant Lycurgus fell if their first leg of the CEV with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-20) loss to Surgut of Russia.
Wytze Kooistra topped the match with 17 points while Voth added 12 of his own and Blankenau led the offence in all three sets. Surgut defended home court with Aleksey Rodichev and Kostyantin Bakun scring 14 and 13 respectively.
The second leg of this Round of 16 match-up goes down November 18th in Groningen.
Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice 3 - Draisma Dynamo Apeldoorn 0
Justin Olmstead (Edmonton, AB) had to do it coming off the bench but he still managed to chip in six points in a set and a bit of play of Apeldoorn’s loss to Ceske Budejovice this week.
The Dutch club travels to the Czech Republic for round two on November 17th.