First European Test Awaits ACH Volley Ljubljana in the Netherlands

The countdown is over — the first European week of the season has arrived for the volleyball players of ACH Volley Ljubljana!

The reigning Slovenian champions departed today for their first international challenge of the season. Under the leadership of head coach Igor Kolaković, the strengthened team will face Orion Stars in the opening round of the CEV Champions League qualifiers tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22, at 8:00 PM in the SaZa Hall in Doetinchem.

The Dutch league and cup champions will undoubtedly present a tough challenge on ACH Volley’s path toward their ultimate goal — securing a spot in the group stage of the Champions League. Orion Stars boasts several outstanding players, including current Dutch internationals. Just like Slovenia, the Netherlands recently reached the Round of 16 at the World Championship. Among the key players for Orion Stars are Wouter Ter Maat (a former teammate of Tonček Štern at Turkish club Ziraat), Jorna Gijs, and Niels Lipke, all well-established names in Dutch volleyball.

Coach Kolaković shared his thoughts ahead of the important match:

“It definitely won’t be an easy task in the Netherlands. We will need to be fully focused and take the initiative from the very beginning. Strong serving pressure will be key, and if we can establish that, I believe everything else will fall into place. We’re highly motivated and determined to show our true face already in the first leg and return to Slovenia with a favorable result.”

Alen Pajenk, who recently rejoined the Orange Dragons, is also looking forward to the European challenge:

“We’ll definitely need to be resilient and show a lot of fighting spirit. From the first point, we have to make it clear to Orion that we’re only interested in one thing-victory. The atmosphere in the team is excellent and we’re all eager for tomorrow’s match.”

The entire ACH Volley Ljubljana squad, including all of this season’s new additions, has traveled to the Netherlands. The team heads into the match with a confidence boost after a strong performance last week at a high-level preparatory tournament in Poland, where they defeated European powerhouses Zawiercie and Galatasaray to claim first place.

The return leg is scheduled for next Thursday, October 30, at 6:00 PM in Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana. The aggregate winner will advance to the second round of Champions League qualification, where they will face the winner of the tie between Strumica (MKD) and Dinamo B. (ROM).