The Romanian powerhouseCSA Steaua Bucureștistarted its participation excellently inthe Balkan Men's Club Volleyball Cup, which is held in the city of Kakanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The team of the BulgariansKrasimir GeorgievandSvetoslav Ivanovachieved an impressive victory over the strong Turkish representativeSpor Totowith 3:1 (20:25, 25:20, 25:23, 25:23).
📊 Match Statistics
| Team | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steaua București | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Spor Toto (Turkey) | 25 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 1 |
Jesus Herrera Jaime of Spor Toto became the top scorer in the match with 27 points, followed by Benny Tuinstra with 12. For Steaua București, Rareș Ionuț Bălean was his team's top scorer with 25 points. Svetoslav Ivanov played only the first set and finished with 1 point, while Krasi Georgiev stayed on the court for the entire match and scored 6 points (2 blocks).
The even distribution of points in the second and fourth sets shows that Steaua's success was not accidental – the team withstood the pressure and demonstrated more mature play in key moments. Serving and saved balls in defense were the decisive factor that tipped the scales in favor of the Romanians.
🏆 Format and Upcoming Matches
The Balkan Cup includes four teams:
CSA Steaua București (Romania)– sixth place in last year's Division A1
Spor Toto (Turkey)– seventh place in the Turkish Süper Lig
OFI Creta (Greece)
OK Kakanj 78 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
The format isround-robin, and the winner will not only win the trophy but alsothe right to participate in the CEV Challenge Cup European tournament.
Steaua's next match will be against the GreekOFI Creta, and with another success, the team will take a decisive step towards the final goal – participation in Europe.
