DIFFICULT START FOR DEFENDING CHAMPION

Men's Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Luxembourg, November 12, 2004. Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League 2003/04 champion Lokomotiv BELGOROD from Russia had a difficult start in their first match defending their title. The Russian Rockets defeated Polish Polska Energia SOSNOWIEC only after winning the fifth set tiebreaker. Other results from the world’s strongest club competition included Belgian Knack ROESELARE defeating Italian Copra Volley PIACENZA.

Lokomotiv BELGOROD is aiming for its third straight title. After the southern Russian formation won the Indesit European Champions’ League in 2003 (Milan, Italy) and 2004 (Belgorod, Russia) the team would really like to win for the third time. In their first match of the new season things didn’t go as well as expected for Lokomotiv BELGOROD when their Polish opponent Polska Energia SOSNOWIEC forced the defending champion into a fifth set tiebreaker. Nevertheless, the Russian team showed strong nerves, finally taking the clash home 3-2.
"All our opponents are serious rivals”, Lokomotiv BELGOROD captain Sergey Tetyukhin said. “It will be a tough struggle for the play-off spots.”
One of the major upsets during this weeks play in the Indesit European Champions’ League was the away victory from Belgian runner-up Knack ROESELARE over Italian Copra Volley PIACENZA 3-2 in Pool D of the men’s event. Knack ROESELARE has always shown top performances in the Indesit European Champions’ League but has never succeeded the major breakthrough. The victory over the Italian giant could mean the start of an incredible season for the team of head coach Dominique Bayens. Best scorer of the match was Ivan Contreras with 26 points.
Noliko MAASEIK, the other Belgian team in the Indesit European Champions’ League, surprisingly lost its first league round match since two years. Although supported by more than 3’000 fans the Belgian champion Noliko MAASEIK had to finally surrender to Greek Iraklis THESSALONIKI (1-3). The victory brought the Greeks to a vital 2-0 win/lose record in Pool A, one of the strongest groups of the Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League league round. Top marker was US-spiker Clayton Stanley from Iraklis THESSALONIKI with 24 points. “We’re very disappointed as we had many chances to win”, commented Noliko MAASEIK middle blocker Matthias Raymaekers (8 points) after the match.
Besides Iraklis THESSALONIKI three other teams booked their second straight victory. Aon hotVolleys VIENNA from Austria won its second match nailing Pool B combatant Panathinaikos ATHENS 3-2, whilst France is currently ruling Pool C and D with both TOURS VB and PARIS Volley claiming their second straight victory.

Play continues with the third leg of the men’s Indesit European Champions’ League on Tuesday 16 November where three interesting matches are scheduled. The Pool A clash between the yet undefeated Iraklis THESSALONIKI from Greece and Russian Lokomotiv BELGOROD will be the main highlight with Iraklis THESSALONIKI having the advantage of playing at home.

In Pool D two other great matches are scheduled for next week. First of all Copra Volley PIACENZA will be under pressure when playing Lokomotiv KHARKIV from the Ukraine as the Italian team will have to make up for their surprising defeat against Knack ROESELARE in the last round. In the same group PARIS Volley will meet another yet undefeated team, namely Russian Dinamo MOSCOW who include the French national team captain Dominique Daquin in their line-up.

The first three ranked teams of each group will reach the play-off stage of this high level competition.

Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League 2004/2005
Results second leg

Preliminary Pool A

Noliko MAASEIK (BEL) - Iraklis THESSALONIKI (GRE)	1-3	25-21, 27-29, 19-25, 22-25
Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS) - Polska Energia SOSNOWIEC (POL)	3-2	20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9

Ranking Pool A

1. Iraklis THESSALONIKI 2-4 (6-1), 2. Noliko MAASEIK 2-3 (4-3), 3. Lokomotiv BELGOROD 1-2 (3-2),
4. Polska Energia SOSNOWIEC 2-2 (2-6), 5. VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 1-1 (0-3)

Preliminary Pool B

JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel S.S.A. (POL) - Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD (SCG)	0-3	24-26, 36-38, 17-25
Panathinaikos ATHENS (GRE) - Aon hotVolleys VIENNA (AUT)	2-3	25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 20-25, 18-20

Ranking Pool B

1. Aon hotVolleys VIENNA 2-4 (6-3), 2. Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD 2-3 (5-3), 3. Levski Siconco SOFIA 1-2 (3-2),
4. JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel S.S.A. 2-2 (1-6), 5. Panathinaikos ATHENS 1-1 (2-3)

Preliminary Pool C

SCC BERLIN (GER) - TOURS VB (FRA)	2-3	25-19, 25-23, 15-25, 18-25, 11-15
Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT) - Unicaja ALMERIA (ESP)	0-3	20-25, 21-25, 22-25

Ranking Pool C

1. TOURS VB 2-4 (6-2), 2. Unicaja ALMERIA 2-3 (4-3), 3. Sisley TREVISO 1-2 (3-1),
4. Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK 2-2 (0-6), 5. SCC BERLIN 1-1 (2-3)

Preliminary Pool D

PARIS Volley (FRA) - Lokomotiv KHARKIV (UKR)	3-0	25-18, 25-18, 25-18
Copra Volley PIACENZA (ITA) - Knack ROESELARE (BEL)	2-3	25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 23-25, 13-15

Ranking Pool D

1. PARIS Volley (FRA) 2-4 (6-2), 2. Knack ROESELARE 2-3 (5-5), 3. Dynamo MOSCOW 1-2 (3-0),
4. Lokomotiv KHARKIV 2-2 (0-6), 5. Copra Volley PIACENZA 1-1 (2-3)

Fans of Panathinaikos ATHENS during the encounter against Aon hotVolleys VIENNA

Match schedule (all times are local)
Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League

Tuesday 16 November 2004

Pool A	20.15	VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER) - Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)
Pool B	18.00	Levski Siconco SOFIA (BUL) - JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel S.S.A. (POL)
Pool C	20.30	Sisley TREVISO (ITA) - Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)
Pool D	17.00	Lokomotiv KHARKIV (UKR) - Copra Volley PIACENZA (ITA)

Wednesday 17 November 2004

Pool A	20.00	Iraklis THESSALONIKI (GRE) - Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS)
Pool B	20.00	Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD (SCG) - Panathinaikos ATHENS (GRE)
Pool D	19.00	Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) - PARIS Volley (FRA)

Thursday 18 November 2004

Pool C

20.30

Unicaja ALMERIA (ESP) - SCC BERLIN (GER)

To view the women's first leg results please click here.

Confédération Européenne de Volleyball