The opening night of the CEV Champions League Volley 2025/26 Men’s pool stage was marked by powerful performances from the home teams. SVG Lüneburg, PGE Projekt Warszawa, and the reigning champions Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia all successfully launched their #CLVolleyM campaigns with crucial victories. Lüneburg triumphed over Sporting CP Lisboa in four sets, led by the outstanding MVP performance of Daniel Gruvaeus. Projekt Warszawa secured a dominant straight-sets sweep against Leuven, thanks to a commanding presence at the net. Meanwhile, Perugia, after losing a tight first set, swiftly recovered their rhythm to claim a victory over Lvi Praha in their Pool C debut. Three matches, three distinct narratives, all showcasing high-level execution and setting an early tone for the season.
SVG Lüneburg Clinch Victory Against Sporting CP Lisboa
Pool D: SVG LÜNEBURG (GER) vs. Sporting CP LISBOA (POR) 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23)
Playing in the second match of Pool D, SVG Lüneburg hosted newcomers Sporting CP Lisboa at the LKH Arena. The German side quickly established dominance in the first two sets, largely due to the early efforts of Daniel Gruvaeus, who set the tone with powerful attacks and service runs. Gruvaeus was a scoring force, tallying 7 points in the opener, which Lüneburg closed comfortably 25-18. The second set followed a similar trajectory; despite a more competitive start from Lisboa (led by Edson Alberto Valencia Gonzalez and Lourenço Martins), Lüneburg maintained control, boosted by Gruvaeus and teammates Axel Enlund and Ethan Champlin, winning 25-19.
The match momentum shifted in the third set. Although Lüneburg led early, Sporting CP Lisboa, powered by effective serving from Sergey Grankin and consistent attacking from Valencia Gonzalez (7 points in the set), built an impressive 17-13 lead. Lüneburg fought back to level the score at 23-23, but two decisive plays by Martins sealed the set for Lisboa, 25-23.
The fourth set was a tense, point-for-point battle. Gruvaeus, the standout performer of the night, broke the deadlock with back-to-back aces, giving Lüneburg a crucial 13-9 advantage. Lisboa refused to yield, closing the gap to 20-20. Clutch attacks from Champlin earned the hosts two match points. Although the first was missed, a service error by Lisboa secured the 25-23 set victory and the 3-1 win for Lüneburg. Daniel Gruvaeus, who shared top-scoring honours with Lisboa’s Edson Valencia Gonzalez at 20 points, was named MVP.
Defending Champions Perugia Regain Control to Defeat Praha
Pool C: Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA (ITA) vs. VK Lvi PRAHA (CZE) 3-1 (24–26, 25–18, 25–18, 25–19)
Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, the defending Champions League title holders, began their 2025/26 campaign with a measured 3-1 victory over VK Lvi Praha at Pala Barton. The Italians faced an early challenge as Praha unexpectedly clinched the opening set 26-24, driven by the exceptional attacking display of opposite David Kollátor. Kollátor finished as the match`s top scorer with 20 points and an impressive 61% hitting efficiency.
Perugia quickly adapted. Setter Simone Giannelli accelerated the offense, and the team improved its block-defense system, notably outblocking Praha 12-7 overall. Outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk delivered a stable performance, scoring 18 points (15 spikes, 1 block, 2 aces). In sets two, three, and four, Perugia demonstrated their characteristic structure: aggressive serving and efficient side-out play. Despite consistent efforts from Kollátor and Jiri Benda, Praha struggled to break Perugia’s defense consistently.
Perugia maintained control throughout the latter half of the match, sealing a confident 25-19 win in the fourth set. The victory extends Perugia’s remarkable record in Champions League group play to 51 wins in 55 matches, marking a strong start to their title defense.
Projekt Warszawa Sweep Leuven with Dominant Blocking
Pool E: PGE Projekt WARSZAWA (POL) vs. Volley Haasrode LEUVEN (BEL) 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20)
In front of a packed Torwar Hall, PGE Projekt Warszawa opened their Pool E campaign with a convincing 3-0 sweep against Volley Haasrode Leuven. The deciding factor in the match was Warszawa`s overwhelming dominance at the net, reflected in a colossal 15-3 blocking advantage.
Middle blocker Yurii Semeniuk, known for his blocking prowess, was the standout performer and was rightly named Most Valuable Player. He finished the match with 12 points, including 6 vital block kills. Warszawa overcame a few nervous moments in the early stages of the first and second sets, utilizing strong serving and their effective blocking system to pull ahead. Despite a spirited resistance from Leuven, led by strong serving from Gildas Prevert and the defense of libero Kobe Verwimp, the Polish side maintained steady leads, winning the first two sets 25-17.
The third set remained tight until Warszawa regained control at 14-11. Fittingly, Semeniuk sealed the match at 25-20 with yet another emphatic block, underscoring the team`s commanding performance. Statistically, Warszawa held the advantage not only in blocking but also in aces (6-3), positive reception (48% to 33%), and capitalizing on opponent errors (26-17).
