The women’s volleyball national champions of Austria, Belgium, Romania and Slovakia emerged on Monday and Wednesday
Romania and Slovakia celebrated their men’s champions on Monday
AUSTRIA
TI-Schuh-Staudinger-volley Innsbruck celebrated a historic success on Monday by earning the club’s first-ever women’s national title in Austria. They closed the best-of-five final playoff against Oberbank Steelvolleys Linz/Steg in four matches. TI-volley stormed the series with two straight-set victories – 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-21) at home on 17 April and 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-23) away on 21 April. Steelvolleys won the third one in Innsbruck on 23 April, 3-1 (25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 25-19), but when they welcomed their opponents to Linz on Monday, TI-volley mastered a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20) win to claim the trophy (pictured in the main photo; credits: © GEPA pictures / Christian Moser). The Austrian Volleyball Federation (Oesterreichischer Volleyballverband) President Gernot Leitner handed them the historic trophy. NO Sokol/Post Schwechat took the bronze with two victories over UVC Holding Graz.
TI-Schuh-Staudinger-volley Innsbruck’s team roster
BELGIUM
Defending champions Asterix Avo Beveren picked up their 17th women’s national title in Belgium by turning the best-of-three final playoff against CapitalatWork BAO Tchalou Volley Thuillies around from a first-match loss. Tchalou produced a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-19) win of the first game on 19 April at home, but then Asterix came back with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17) win on 27 April. Wednesday’s decider was played in Beveren again and Asterix secured the victory. The bronze went to E.S. Charleroi Volley.
Asterix Avo Beveren’s team roster
MONTENEGRO
Herceg Novi defended their inaugural women’s title in Montenegro from last season by sweeping the best-of-five final playoff with three straight-set victories over Luka Bar – 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-20) at home on 23 April, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 28-26) in Bar on 27 April, and 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) at home again on Monday. Earlier in April, Herceg Novi also won their best-of-three semi-final series against Buducnost Podgorica without losing a set in both matches, while Luka dropped a total of just one set in their two semi-final games against Moraca Podgorica.
Herceg Novi’s team roster
PORTUGAL
Five matches were needed in Portugal’s best-of-five final playoff to determine the country’s 2024 women’s champions. In the deciding game on Wednesday evening in front of over two thousand fans in the stands, FC Porto managed a tight 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 26-24) home win over PV2014/Colegio Efanor Porto. The winning team collected their first title as a separate entity, after winning the previous three as part of the AJM/FC Porto partnership with Academia Jose Moreira. Vitoria Guimaraes beat Sporting CP Lisbon for the bronze by 2-1 in wins in the third-place playoff.
FC Porto’s team roster
ROMANIA
Corona Brasov crowned their inaugural season in the Romanian top men’s league with a historic title. In the best-of-five championship series, they beat Arcada Galati by 3-1 in wins. They started the final playoff with a 3-2 (25-16, 19-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-12) away victory on 21 April, but on the following day Arcada recovered with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18) sweep to make it 1-1 in the series. When the series moved to Brasov for the next two games, Corona claimed the win in both – 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-20) on Sunday and 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19) in front of two thousand fans on Monday. Rapid Bucharest celebrated the bronze after a hard-fought third-place series against Dinamo Bucharest, which they closed by 3-2 in wins.
Corona Brasov’s team roster
SLOVAKIA
An epic men’s final playoff in Slovakia finally ended on Monday after seven matches, with Rieker UJS Komarno celebrating their third title in the club’s history. Rieker and opponents VKP FTVS UK Bratislava alternated in winning games throughout the best-of-seven series. However, it was the squad from Komarno who achieved a 3-1 (25-13, 21-25, 27-25, 25-19) victory in front of two thousand spectators on Monday to snatch the crown by 4-3 in wins. TJ Spartak Myjava beat MIRAD UNIPO Presov three times in a row to earn the bronze.
Rieker UJS Komarno’s team roster