Gacko RD Swisslion secure their first golden double in Bosnia & Herzegovina
Gerdau Minas Belo Horizonte beat Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia to claim their sixth Brazilian title
Maritza Plovdiv break their own record with 10th consecutive title in Bulgaria
Selmy Brno win their first-ever Czech Extraliga title
Holte IF collect 19th title in Denmark
SideOut Polonia London win England Cup for the fifth time
Santry Calypso Dublin cruise through Ireland’s Premier League unbeaten
Rabotnicki Skopje earn 14th title in North Macedonia
Randaberg defend title after a two-day Final Four in Norway
Grupa Azoty Chemik Police celebrate their 11th national title in Poland
Orebro Volley triumph in Sweden for the first time since 2008
Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul emerge victorious from five-game championship series in Türkiye
Brazil and as many as 10 European countries – Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Ireland, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Türkiye – crowned their women’s volleyball champions over the weekend, from Friday through Sunday. England celebrated its cup winners.
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
Defending champions Gacko RD Swisslion closed the final series in Bosnia & Herzegovina on Saturday to claim their second national title and register their first domestic golden double. A week earlier, they started the championship playoff with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-22) home win over Bimal-Jedinstvo Brcko, and then, backed it up with an away 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-23) sweep of the second match to triumph with the trophy.
Gacko RD Swisslion’s team roster
Gacko celebrate as 2024 Bosnian champions (Photo credits: osbih.ba)
BRAZIL
Gerdau Minas Belo Horizonte reclaimed the title of the Brazilian Superliga by defeating Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia in a 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-16, 25-21) single-match final in front of a packed Geraldao Arena in Recife on Sunday. Minas emerged victorious with the national crown for the sixth time in history. The two finalists reached the gold medal match after outplaying Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude and Sesc RJ Flamengo Rio de Janeiro, respectively, in the semi-final playoffs.
The Superliga Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours went to Minas’s 24-year-old opposite Kisy Nascimento. She was also named on the Dream Team, along with setter Brie King (Sesc), outside hitters Veronica Jones-Perry (Sesc) and Sofya Kuznetsova (Praia), middle blockers Adenízia Silva (Praia) and Thaisa Menezes (Minas), libero Camila Brait (Osasco) and coach Nicola Negro (Minas).
Gerdau Minas Belo Horizonte’s team roster
BULGARIA
Maritza Plovdiv earned their 10th back-to-back national volleyball crown, breaking their own record for consecutive titles in the Bulgarian league. They cruised through the best-of-five National Volleyball League championship series against CSKA Sofia with three straight-set victories in a row - 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 26-24) and 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-15) on Wednesday and Thursday at home and 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-15) on Sunday away (pictured in the main photo; credits: Bonchuk Andonov, startphoto.bg). The bronze went to Levski Sofia after two wins over Slaviya Sofia in the third-place playoff. Bulgarian Volleyball Federation President Lubomir Ganev headlined the awards ceremony.
Maritza Plovdiv’s team roster
CZECHIA
Selmy Brno celebrated their first national title in Czechia after sweeping the best-of-five championship series against VK Dukla Liberec in three matches. The gold medal playoff started on 15 April in Brno, where Selmy achieved a 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 22-25, 25-15) win. Three days later in Liberec, they doubled their lead after a tight 3-2 (25-18, 19-25, 25-13, 22-25, 16-14) victory and converted it to the title with a 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19) win back at home on Sunday. Czech Volleyball Federation President Marek Pakosta handed the trophy to the winners. Selmy’s 31-year-old setter Pavla Smidova was named MVP of the final series. After two wins over Olymp Prague in the best-of-three third-place playoff, Prostějov took the bronze.
Selmy Brno’s team roster
DENMARK
Holte IF claimed their 19th national title in Denmark. They closed the best-of-five final series against ASV Elite Aarhus in three matches. In the first game, Holte mastered a 3-0 (25-23, 29-27, 25-12) sweep at home on 14 April. However, the second and the third had to be decided in tie-breakers. On 18 April, Holte doubled their lead with a 3-2 (22-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-18, 15-10) away victory, and on Sunday, they triumphed after a 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-9) comeback from two sets down at home. Brondby took the bronze after two five-set wins over Gentofte Volley.
Holte IF’s team roster
ENGLAND
SideOut Polonia London celebrated their fifth England Cup trophy on Saturday, when they mastered a 3-0 (28-26, 25-20, 25-21) sweep of the final against Durham Palatinates, played at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering. SideOut Polonia’s 28-year-old American outside hitter Sydney Busa was named MVP.
SideOut Polonia London’s team roster
IRELAND
Ireland’s Premier League season ended on Sunday, with defending champions Santry Calypso Dublin topping the final standings undefeated in 14 matches played to earn their fourth title. They secured their crown well ahead of the end of the double round robin, but made sure they continued their victorious run through the end, collecting a total of 39 points. Trinity College Dublin finished runners-up with silver on 10-4 and 27, while Gardians Dublin took the bronze on 8-6 and 22.
NORTH MACEDONIA
Rabotnicki Skopje did not drop a single set in the best-of-five championship playoff in North Macedonia and celebrated their third consecutive and 14th overall national title. They claimed victory in all three matches against Strumica Zeni: 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-17) away on 14 April, 3-0 (28-26, 25-20, 25-21) at home on 17 April and 3-0 (25-23, 28-26, 25-19) away on Saturday. In the best-of-three semifinals, Rabotnicki and Strumica defeated Janta volej Kisela voda Skopje and Nakovski volej Strumica, respectively, by 2-0 each in wins.
NORWAY
The two-day Final Four tournament of the Norwegian league was held in Randaberg. In Saturday’s final, defending champions and event hosts Randaberg mastered a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-16) victory over Koll Oslo to collect their fourth national title. 27-year-old middle blocker Karoline Nore was the best scorer of the match with 14 points, including two aces and two kill blocks. Earlier on Saturday, Friday’s semi-final losers met for in the bronze medal. TIF Viking Bergen completed the podium after a 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-14) win over OKSIL Myre.
Randaberg’s team roster
POLAND
Grupa Azoty Chemik Police celebrated as Polish champions for the 11th time in the club’s history after sweeping the best-of-five final playoff against PGE RYSICE Rzeszow in three games. The series started on 12 April at Chemik’s home venue in Szczecin, where they delivered a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-21) sweep. They also won the away game on 16 April in straight sets, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-22). Back at home on Friday, in front of nearly four thousand fans, Chemik sealed the deal with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-23) victory. The best-of-five bronze medal playoff is still underway with BKS BOSTIK ZGO Bielsko-Biala leading the series against Grot Budowlani Lodz by 2-1 in wins.
Grupa Azoty Chemik Police’s team roster
SWEDEN
Orebro Volley picked up the 11th Swedish championship crown in the club’s history, but the first in 16 years. They swept the best-of-five gold medal series against defending titleholders Engelholms in just three matches. The final playoff started on 13 April in Orebro and the home team fought their way to a 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 18-25, 25-27, 15-9) victory. Another five-set battle unfolded in the second game on 17 April in Engelholm with Orebro winning again in a 3-2 (18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-9) comeback from two sets down. As the series returned to Orebro on Saturday, they pleased the home crowd with a 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-19, 25-22) win and the title. Hylte Halmstad did not lose a single set in the two matches of the bronze medal playoff against Lunds.
Orebro Volley’s team roster
TÜRKIYE
Defending champions Fenerbahce Opet Istanbulput an end to the best-of-five final series in Türkiye on Sunday by claiming the 15th women’s national title in the club’s history. After five matches at the iconic TVF Burhan Felek volleyball hall in Istanbul, they beat Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul by 3-2 in wins. Fenerbahce won the first and the third games by 3-1 (25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 27-25) on 9 April and by 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-22) on 15 April. Eczacibasi leveled the count twice – 3-2 (21-25, 25-22, 14-25, 25-14, 15-9) on 13 April and 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) on 18 April. In Sunday’s decider, however, Fenerbahce mastered a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 27-25) sweep and triumphed as champions. VakifBank Istanbul took the bronze after two straight-set victories over Turk Hava Yollari Istanbul.
Fenerbahce’s 24-year-old opposite Melissa Vargas was named MVP of the finals. Four of her teammates picked up individual awards: Bojana Drca for Best Setter, Ana Cristina Souza for Best Outside Hitter, Eda Erdem Dundar for Best Middle Blocker and Gizem Orge for Best Libero. The Best Opposite went to Eczacibasi’s Tijana Boskovic. Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Ustundag handed Fenerbahce and Melissa Vargas their trophies during the award ceremony.
Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul’s team roster
Fenerbahce rejoice with the trophy after receiving it from TVF President Mehmet Akif Ustundag (Photo credits: tvf.org.tr)