2015–16 CEV Challenge Cup

The 2015–16 CEV Challenge Cup was the 36th edition of the CEV Challenge Cup tournament, the former CEV Cup.^[1]

2015–16 CEV Challenge Cup
League	CEV Challenge Cup
Sport	Volleyball
Duration	24 October 2015 – 3 April 2016
Finals
Champions	Calzedonia Verona
Runners-up	Fakel Novy Urengoy
Finals MVP	Taylor Sander (VER)

This edition of the CEV Challenge Cup was historic one since a team from Kosovo was invited for the first time to take part in a CEV competition - the Kosovo's champions Drenica R&Rukolli Skenderaj.^[2] Italian club Calzedonia Verona beat Russian Fakel Novy Urengoy in the finale.^[3] American outside hitter Taylor Sander received individual award for the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Participating teams

The number of participants on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions:

Rank	Country	Number of teams	Teams
1	Russia	1	Fakel Novy Urengoy
2	Italy	1	Calzedonia Verona
4	Turkey	1	İstanbul BB
5	Belgium	1	Prefaxis Menen
8	Romania	1	C.S. Arcada Galati
9	Greece	1	Ethnikos Alexandroupolis
11	Austria	2	Union Raiffeisen Waldviertel, VCA Amstetten NÖ
12	Slovenia	2	Calcit Volleyball, Panvita Pomgrad
13	Serbia	2	OK Novi Pazar, Spartak Ljig
15	Switzerland	2	Biogas Volley Näfels, Volley Amriswil
19	Finland	1	Raision Loimu
20	Netherlands	1	Orion Doetinchem
22	Israel	1	Hapoel Kfar Saba
23	Belarus	1	Bate-Bgu Borisov
24	Croatia	2	Mladost Zagreb, Mladost Marina Kastela
25	Cyprus	2	Anorthosis Famagusta, Pokka AE Karava
26	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1	Mladost Brcko
27	Slovakia	1	Spartak Myjava
28	Portugal	2	S.L. Benfica, Fonte Bastardo Açores
30	Norway	2	BK Tromsø, Nyborg Bergen
31	Albania	1	Studenti Tirana
32	Hungary	1	Fino Kaposvar
33	Denmark	1	Gentofte Volley
35	Northern Ireland	1	Ballymoney Blaze
-	Kosovo	1	Drenica R&Rukolli Skenderaj

Qualification phase

1st round

• 1st leg 24 October 2015
• 2nd leg 25 October 2015

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Ballymoney Blaze	0–6	Drenica R&Rukolli Skenderaj	0–3	0–3

2nd round

• 1st leg 4–21 November 2016
• 2nd leg 17–22 November 2016

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Pokka AE Karava	1–6	Fino Kaposvar	1–3	0–3
Anorthosis Famagusta	1–6	Legion Obuhovo	1–3	0–3
Førde VBK	1–6	Fonte Bastardo Açores	1–3	0–3
Spartak Myjava	1–6	Calcit Volleyball	1–3	0–3
C.S. Arcada Galati	6–3	OK Novi Pazar	3–1	3–2
Nyborg Bergen	1–6	Loimu Raisio	0–3	1–3
Mladost Marina Kastela	3–6	Bate-Bgu Borisov	2–3	1–3
Orion Doetinchem	2–6	Fakel Novy Urengoy	1–3	1–3
Mladost Brcko	1–6	Istanbul BBSK	1–3	0–3
Biogas Volley Näfels	1–6	S.L. Benfica	0–3	1–3
Studenti Tirana	0–6	Spartak Ljig	0–3	0–3
Panvita Pomgrad	3–6	Ethnikos Alexandroupolis	2–3	1–3
VCA Amstetten NÖ	5–4	Mladost Zagreb	3–1	2–3
Drenica R&Rukolli Skenderaj	0–6	Hapoel Kfar Saba	0–3	0–3
BK Tromsø	1–6	Gentofte Volley	0–3	1–3
Calzedonia Verona	6–1	Union Raiffeisen Waldviertel	3–0	3–1

Main phase

In this phase, the 16 teams eliminated from 2015–16 Men's CEV Cup Round of 32 joined the 16 teams from qualification.

16th finals

• 1st leg 1–15 December 2016
• 2nd leg 15–17 December 2016

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg	Golden Set
Fakel Novy Urengoy	6–1	Lycurgus Groningen	3–1	3–0
Fatra Zlín	6–3	Pokka AE Karava	3–2	3–1
Lokomotyv Kharkiv	6–1	Volley Amriswil	3–1	3–0
Calcit Kamnik	4–3	Draisma Dynamo Apeldoorn	3–0	1–3	15–9
C.S. Arcada Galati	5–4	ČEZ Karlovarsko	3–1	2–3
ASUL Lyon Volley-Ball	6–1	Loimu Raisio	3–0	3–1
Fino Kaposvar	3–4	Pärnu VK	3–1	0–3	7–15
Prefaxis Menen	5–4	Hurrikaani Loimaa	3–1	2–3
İstanbul BB	4–4	Stroitel Minsk	3–1	1–3	15–10
S.L. Benfica	5–4	Topvolley Antwerpen	3–1	2–3
Spartak Ljig	6–0	Jastrzębski Węgiel [Note POL]	withdrew	withdrew
Ethnikos Alexandroupolis	4–4	VK Prievidza	3–1	1–3	15–11
VCA Amstetten NÖ	1–6	Arago de Sète	0–3	1–3
Hapoel Kfar Saba	3–6	Crvena Zvezda Beograd	1–3	2–3
Gentofte Volley	0–6	Galatasaray HDI Istanbul	0–3	0–3
Landstede Zwolle	0–6	Calzedonia Verona	0–3	0–3

Notes

1. ^
   Jastrzębski Węgiel withdrew from the competition.

8th finals

• 1st leg 19–21 January 2016
• 2nd leg 26–28 January 2016

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg	Golden Set
Fatra Zlín	1–6	Fakel Novy Urengoy	0–3	1–3
Lokomotyv Kharkiv	3–4	Calcit Kamnik	3–1	0–3	17–15
C.S. Arcada Galati	3–3	ASUL Lyon Volley-Ball	3–0	0–3	10–15
Pärnu VK	3–4	Prefaxis Menen	3–1	0–3	10–15
Istanbul BBSK	3–4	S.L. Benfica	3–1	0–3	13–15
Spartak Ljig	2–6	Ethnikos Alexandroupolis	2–3	0–3
Arago de Sète	3–3	Crvena Zvezda Beograd	3–0	0–3	15–9
Calzedonia Verona	6–2	Galatasaray HDI Istanbul	3–1	3–1

4th finals

• 1st leg 16–17 February 2016
• 2nd leg 18 February – 2 March 2016

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Lokomotyv Kharkiv	0–6	Fakel Novy Urengoy	0–3	0–3
ASUL Lyon Volley-Ball	0–6	Prefaxis Menen	0–3	0–3
S.L. Benfica	6–3	Ethnikos Alexandroupolis	3–1	3–2
Calzedonia Verona	6–4	Arago de Sète	3–2	3–2

Final phase

Semi-finals

Team 1	Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Fakel Novy Urengoy	6–2	Prefaxis Menen	3–0	3–2
Calzedonia Verona	5–4	S.L. Benfica	2–3	3–1

First leg

Date	Time		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total	Report
16 Mar	19:00	Fakel Novy Urengoy	3–0	Prefaxis Menen	25–19	25–14	25–18			75–51	Report
16 Mar	20:30	Calzedonia Verona	2–3	S.L. Benfica	25–18	24–26	16–25	25–21	12–15	102–105	Report

Second leg

Date	Time		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total	Report
20 Mar	15:30	Prefaxis Menen	2–3	Fakel Novy Urengoy	20–25	23–25	25–23	25–21	5–15	98–109	Report
20 Mar	15:00	S.L. Benfica	1–3	Calzedonia Verona	15–25	25–19	17–25	14–25		71–94	Report

Final

First leg

Date	Time		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total	Report
30 Mar	20:30	Calzedonia Verona	3–2	Fakel Novy Urengoy	25–18	27–25	18–25	23–25	15–13	108–106	Report

Second leg

Date	Time		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total	Report
3 Apr	18:00	Fakel Novy Urengoy	2–3	Calzedonia Verona	20–25	25–18	20–25	25–21	6–15	96–104	Report

Final standing

Rank Team Calzedonia Verona Fakel Novy Urengoy Semifinalists Prefaxis Menen S.L. Benfica

2016 Men's CEV Challenge Cup winner Calzedonia Verona 1st title Aidan Zingel, Uroš Kovačević, Nicola Pesaresi, Carmelo Gitto, François Lecat, Luca Spirito, Michele Baranowicz, Saša Starović, Giacomo Bellei, Taylor Sander, Simone Anzani, Bartosz Bućko Head coach Andrea Giani