Olympiada Neapolis Nicosia earn second consecutive golden treble in Cyprus women’s volleyball
Hurrikaani Loimaa triumph as Finland’s men’s champions for the first time
Vasas Obuda Budapest defend women’s title in Hungary
Maccabi Ashdod snatch maiden women’s title in Israel
Speed Ball Chekka celebrate as men’s champions in Lebanon
Al-Khaleej Saihat raise their first men’s Saudi Arabia Cup trophy
Halkbank Ankara earn first men’s crown in Türkiye since 2018
Seven teams celebrated as winners of domestic volleyball trophies from Tuesday to Thursday of this week. National champions emerged in Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lebanon and Türkiye, while national cup winners triumphed in Cyprus and Saudi Arabia.
CYPRUS
Olympiada Neapolis Nicosia claimed the women’s Cyprus Cup for the third time in history and celebrated their second consecutive golden treble. In Tuesday’s final at the Aphrodite sports complex in Paphos, they mastered a 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-16) win over Apollon Limassol. Olympiada’s 35-year-old French outside hitter and captain Veronika Hudima was named Most Valuable Player (MVP). Cyprus Volleyball Federation President, Costas Constantinou, handed the trophies to the winners.
Olympiada Neapolis triumph as Cyprus Cup winners (Photo credits: volleyball.org.cy)
FINLAND
Hurrikaani Loimaa finally made it to the top of the men’s podium in Finland after previously collecting five silver medals. They completed the best-of-seven championship series against Akaa-Volley in only four matches. After a 3-1 win (21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-19) on 9 April at home, a 3-1 victory (25-17, 25-27, 25-21, 25-19) on 12 April and a 3-2 win (25-16, 20-25, 17-25, 25-18, 15-11) on 13 April away, Hurrikaani finished up with a clean 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) sweep at home on Tuesday. VaLePa Sastamala Tampere claimed the bronze. After exchanging five-set victories with Savo Volley Kuopio, they managed a 25-21 golden set win to make the podium.
Hurrikaani Loimaa’s team roster
HUNGARY
Vasas Obuda Budapest won the women’s title in Hungary for the third consecutive and ninth overall time. They closed the best-of-five championship series against KNRC Kaposvar with three back-to-back victories: 3-0 (26-24, 25-13, 25-18) at home on 9 April, 3-2 (25-23, 27-25, 28-30, 18-25, 15-12) away on 13 April and another 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-20) at home on Wednesday. Vasas Obuda Budapest’s 24-year-old American opposite Taylor Bannister (pictured in the main photo; credits: Hunvolley) was honoured as the season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). Meanwhile, MAV Elore Foxconn Szekesfehervar led the best-of-five third-place playoff against Swietelsky-Bekescsaba by 2-1 in wins.
Vasas Obuda Budapest’s team roster
ISRAEL
Maccabi Ashdod earned the women’s title in Israel for the first time in the club’s history after closing the best-of-five championship series against Maccabi XT Haifa in three games. In the first match on 10 April, they mastered a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-22) sweep on the road, and followed it up with another win, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 26-24), at home on 13 April. On Wednesday, Maccabi Ashdod secured the title with a 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 25-15) victory in Haifa.
Maccabi Ashdod’s team roster
LEBANON
Speed Ball Chekka triumphed as 2024 men’s champions of Lebanon, picking up the fifth title in the club’s history. They mastered three wins over Chabeb Batroun in the best-of-five championship series, starting with a 3-0 score (25-15, 25-13, 25-18) at home on 13 April, followed up with a 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 25-16) away on Tuesday, and finishing off with another 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-17) at home on Thursday. The bronze went to Anwar Beirut after a 3-0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-15) sweep of the third-place match against Qnat.
Speed Ball Chekka’s team roster
SAUDI ARABIA
Al-Khaleej Saihat celebrated as winners of the men’s Saudi Arabia Federation Cup trophy for the first time in history, after finishing on top of the podium with 9 points. They were followed by Ittihad Jeddah with 6 points and Al-Hilal Riyadh with 3. Al-Khaleej’s 32-year-old Cameroonian opposite Yvan-Arthur Kody was named MVP of the tournament. His teammates Mohammed Mustafa and Saleh Al-Dosari were awarded the Best Middle Blocker and Best Libero titles. Ittihad Jeddah’s Liberman Agamez and Luis Tomas Sosa were named Best Outside Hitter and Best Middle Blocker, while Al-Hilal’s Hassan Wathlan was named Best Opposite. The Saudi Arabian Volleyball Federation President Khaled Al-Zughaibi handed the trophy to the winners.
TÜRKIYE
Halkbank Ankara defeated Fenerbahçe Parolapara Istanbul in three matches to win their 10th men’s title in Türkiye, but their first since 2018. In the first game of the best-of-five championship series on 11 April, Halkbank Ankara produced a 3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 25-16) victory at home. On 14 April in Istanbul, they won again in four sets, in a 3-1 scoreline (25-22, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20). Back in Ankara on Wednesday, Halkbank Ankara mastered a 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-19) sweep to close the final playoff. The bronze went to Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, after straight-set victories over Galatasaray HDI Sigorta Istanbul in both matches of the third-place series.
Halkbank Ankara’s 32-year-old Dutch star Nimir Abdel-Aziz was named MVP and Best Opposite of the finals. Four of his teammates picked up the remaining individual awards: Micah Ma'a for Best Setter, Mirza Lagumdzija for Best Outside Hitter, Mert Matic for Best Middle Blocker and Volkan Done for Best Libero. The Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ handed out the trophies during the award ceremony.
Nimir Abdel-Aziz lifts the trophy after receiving it from TVF President Mehmet Akif Ustundag (Photo credits: tvf.org.tr)