ACH Volley Ljubljana Powerless Against Turkish Ziraat in Tivoli

In the first CEV Cup quarterfinal match, Ljubljana’s Tivoli Hall hosted a showdown between the Slovenian champions, ACH Volley Ljubljana, and the Turkish star-studded team Ziraat Bank Ankara. The Turkish side secured a convincing victory, with Slovenian national team member Tonček Štern contributing the most points for his team.

Ljubljana – Tivoli Sports Hall, Attendance: 2,074, Referees: Glod Wojciech (Poland), Bardić Bojan (Croatia)

ACH Volley Ljubljana : Ziraat Bank Ankara 0 : 3 (-21, -20, -19)

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Golzadeh 1, Kržič Jošt, Šket 13, Najdič, Esko, Marovt 3, Šen 3, Kržič Janž Janez 5, Kovačič (L), Štalekar, Pokeršnik 11, Videčnik 5, Kök, Kumer (L). Coach: Matjaž Hafner

Ziraat Bank Ankara: Anderson 6, Ter Maat, Sahin, Štern 15, Savas 9, Bulbul 9, Yenipazar 2, Zonca 1, Gunes, Clevenot 13, Kir (L), Bayraktar (L), Gedik. Coach: Mustafa Kavaz

The match began with a strong start from the Turkish visitors, who quickly took a 7:3 lead, largely thanks to Tonček Štern. This prompted an early timeout by ACH Volley’s coach Matjaž Hafner. Following the break, the "Orange Dragons" managed to loosen up and improve their play, with Šket narrowing the gap to 14:16. However, the Slovenian side lacked composure in the final moments, and the set concluded with a clever play from Anderson (21:25).

The second set saw Ziraat dominate from the start once again. Anderson delivered a powerful attack from the back row, extending the lead to 7:2. The home team’s coach attempted to inject fresh energy with substitutions, and Kržič Janž closed the gap with an ace (13:15). Despite their efforts, ACH Volley fell short in the closing stages, as Ziraat capitalized on their mistakes and secured the set with a strong finish from Bulbul through the middle (20:25).

The third set had a completely different beginning, with ACH Volley taking an early 5:1 lead thanks to their aggressive play. However, Ankara’s players soon regained balance and took the lead midway through the set (12:14). The Ljubljana team stayed close, with Šket and Pokeršnik attacking successfully to keep the deficit minimal. In the final phase, Štern stepped up once again, delivering a strong serving series to create an unassailable lead. The match ended after an effective attack from Zonca (19:25).

Matjaž Hafner, Head Coach of ACH Volley Ljubljana:
"I feel like we could have achieved more tonight. At times, we played well and fought hard, but there were also moments of hesitation where we needed to show a different approach. Now, we need to shift our focus to the national championship and, of course, the return leg in Turkey."

Nejc Najdič, ACH Volley Ljubljana Player:
"It's a shame we lost in front of our home fans, who supported us throughout the match. We had opportunities to take at least one set, but we didn’t make the most of them. Now, we have to prepare for the upcoming matches and maintain our undefeated streak in domestic competitions."