Bulgarians Mika Stoyanova and Tsvetomira Mitkova won the European CEV Challenge Cup trophy with the team of Megabox Ondulati del Savio (Vallefoglia), after the Italians defeated Panathinaikos in the final return leg with 3:0 (25:20, 27:25, 25:16) in the Glyfada hall in Athens.

The Italian team entered the match with a minimal advantage after a dramatic 3:2 victory in the first game, but this time they showed class and left no doubt about their superiority, despite the anticipated heated atmosphere in front of the full stands.

Already in the first set, the visitors imposed their rhythm and controlled the game to take the lead. The second set was the most contested, in which Panathinaikos put up strong resistance, but in key moments the Italians showed stronger mentality and took a 2:0 lead. In the third set, Megabox dominated completely and closed the match without hesitation, thus winning the trophy.

Thus, Andrea Pistola's protégées confirmed the impressions from the first match, where they showed character after losing a set and achieved success in the tie-break. In the return leg, this very character and psychological resilience proved crucial against the ambitious Greek team.
Again, at the heart of Vallefoglia's success was Erblira Bici, who became the top scorer with 23 points. On the other side, the best scorers for Panathinaikos were Bennett and Lampkowska with 13 points each, while White finished with 11. Omoruyi also finished with double-digit points for the Italians, with 10 points.

The trophy is historic for Megabox, which reached the top in its debut participation in European club tournaments, and for the Bulgarians Stoyanova and Mitkova, this is a significant achievement on the international stage.

photo:cev.eu