The CEV Champions League was the highest level of European club volleyball in the 2017–18 season and the 58th edition. The Turkish club VakıfBank Istanbul won its fourth overall and second consecutive title. The Romanian club CSM Volei Alba Blaj won the silver medal and Italian Imoco Volley Conegliano claimed the bronze medal. The Turkish Gözde Kırdar Sonsırma from VakıfBank Istanbul, who will retire, was awarded Most Valuable Player.
A total of 16 team participate of the main competition, with 12 teams being allocated direct vacancies on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions[1][2] and 4 teams qualified from the qualification rounds.[3]
Drawing of lots was held in Moscow, Russia on 17 November 2017.[4]
A round-robin format (each team plays every other team in its pool twice, once home and once away) where the 16 participating teams are drawn into 4 pools of 4 teams each.
The four pool winners and the best two second placed teams among all pools qualify for the Playoffs.
The organizer of the Final Four is determined at the conclusion League Round and qualify directly for the Final Four.[2]
The standings is determined by the number of matches won.
In case of a tie in the number of matches won by two or more teams, their ranking is based on the following criteria:[6]
result points (points awarded for results: 3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss);
set quotient (the number of total sets won divided by the number of total sets lost);
points quotient (the number of total points scored divided by the number of total points lost);
results of head-to-head matches between the teams in question.
Playoffs
A knockout format where the 6 qualified teams are each draw into one of the 3 matches with each match consisting of two legs (home and away).
Result points are awarded for each leg (3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss). After two legs, the team with the most result points advances to the Final Four. In case the teams are tied after two legs, a Golden Set is played immediately at the completion of the second leg. The Golden Set winner is the team that first obtains 15 points, provided that the points difference between the two teams is at least 2 points (thus, the Golden Set is similar to a tiebreak set in a normal match).[6]
Final Four
A single-elimination format where the three winners of the Playoffs are joined by the Final Four hosts and draw to play the semifinals (winners advance to the final and losers to the 3rd place match).[2] In case two teams from the same country qualify for the semifinals, they will play each other.
Pools composition
Drawing of lots was held on 17 November 2017 in Moscow, Russia.[4]
On 6 May 2018, in the final game of the 2018 Champions League, VakıfBank Istanbul attained the record of the best score in a volleyball European cup final since the Rally Point System was adopted, with only 45 points lost. Consequently, CSM Volei Alba Blaj holds the record for the worst score.
References
^"CEV volleyball competitions regulations"(PDF). CEV. 18 August 2017. pp. 30–32 (chapter 5 'Club competitions', section 31 'Team eligibility - registration in a CEV competition'). Archived from the original(PDF) on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
^ abc"CEV volleyball competitions regulations"(PDF). CEV. 18 August 2017. pp. 117–119 (chapter 29 'CEV Volleyball Champions League', section 163 'CEV Competition system'). Archived from the original(PDF) on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
