As Europe’s men’s volleyball club season 2022-2023 concluded, the national champions of France, Italy and Türkiye were among the last ones crowned on the continent.

France

A golden set decided the title in France on Saturday. In front of a home crowd of well over 3,200 fans, Tours hammered out a 15-10 win in the crucial set to turn the home-and-away championship series against Chaumont 52 Haute Marne around and triumph as French champions for the ninth time in history. Chaumont had taken the lead with a 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-17) home win on 6 May, but Tours reacted with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 27-25) shutout in the return match to prompt the golden set. Their Brazilian outside hitter Joao Rafael Ferreira made the highest contribution to the victory and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the deciding match. Earlier in the season, Tours also celebrated as national cup winners.

Tours’ team roster

Italy

After a tense five-match championship series in Italy, five-time FIVB club world champions Itas Trentino Trento celebrated their fifth national title and first since 2015. Their best-of-five final playoff against defending champions Cucine Lube Civitanova, club world champions in 2019, started with a 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17) home win on 1 May. Lube tied the series after a hard-fought 3-2 (25-21, 25-15, 19-25, 23-25, 17-15) victory in Civitanova on 4 May. In game three, Trentino took a quite convincing 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-16) win at home on 7 May, but, once again, Lube managed to level the series with a 3-1 (25-18, 27-25, 20-25, 25-16) home win on 12 May, to prompt a fifth match decider in Trento on Wednesday.

At a sold-out BLM Group Arena, Trentino put on a dominant display to overcome Lube in straight sets (25-20, 25-20, 25-19) to decide the series and take the national championship crown. Bulgarian opposite and Trentino captain Matey Kaziyski returned for his fourth stint with the club in 2021-2022, scoring 13 points in the final to help lead his team to victory while also taking home the MVP award for the finals.

The bronze medals went to Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza.

Itas Trentino Trento’s team roster

Türkiye

The iconic Baskent volleyball hall in Ankara hosted all five games of a rollercoaster championship series between two archrivals from the capital, which finally ended on Monday in favour of Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, who claimed their third national title, after celebrating as champions of the previous two seasons as well. Their opponents Halkbank Ankara, who won the national cup earlier this season, took the first lead in the best-of-five final playoff with a 3-1 (25-15, 25-16, 23-25, 26-24) victory on 2 May. Ziraat reacted with a 3-0 (26-24, 30-28, 25-20) sweep of game two on 6 May and edged ahead with a 3-1 (25-14, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16) victory on 9 May, but Halkbank tied it back on 12 May by claiming a 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 19-25, 25-16) win. A full house of five thousand fans witnessed Ziraat finish the job with a 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory in the deciding match on 15 May.

Ziraat’s 37-year-old setter and team captain Arslan Eksi was honoured with the MVP award, presented to him by Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Ustundag. He also handed him the precious champions’ trophy. Fenerbahce HDI Sigorta Istanbul earned the bronze medals.

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara’s team roster

TVF President Mehmet Akif Ustundag presents the national championship trophy to Ziraat’s captain Arslan Eksi (Photo credits: tvf.org.tr)