Slovenian volleyball champions ACH Volley prepare to open their European campaign against Orion Stars in the Netherlands, carrying high ambitions while managing a returning roster core that includes opposite hitter Tonček Štern after a shoulder injury.
Domestic dominance in Ljubljana has provided a smooth runway for the squad this autumn. The team secured the inaugural Slovenian superpokal by defeating Panvita Pomgrad 3:1, then followed up with straight-set league victories over i-Vent Maribor and Krka. Attention now pivots from domestic gyms to the CEV Champions League and an opening-round trip abroad.
Orion Stars Rematch Awaits in the European Qualifiers
Waiting across the net on Wednesday will be Orion Stars Doetinchem, a familiar opponent from last season’s opening qualification round. The Dutch side advanced to this stage by eliminating North Macedonia’s UGD Štip. Head coach Igor Kolaković warns against drawing too many parallels to last year’s encounter given the turnover on both sides.
CEV Champions League Volley 2027 Wildcards have been confirmed.🏐 Women's Competition:🇮🇹 Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (Italy)🇹🇷 Galatasaray Daikin ISTANBUL (Türkiye) pic.twitter.com/webQU4YiX9
“They’ve changed quite a few players and once again have a good team full of expectations, just like us. It’s a new team that’s hard to compare to last year’s, as not all the matches they’ve played are objective. There were more friendlies, two somewhat easier ones against Štip, though the second one was demanding for them, and one supercup. Both of us are still in an unknown form, so we’ll see,” Igor Kolaković said.
Despite the unknowns, expectations inside the visiting camp remain lofty. The club has set its sights on a deep run in Europe’s premier club tournament, treating each step with caution while acknowledging their status. Ob tem je pristavil, da morajo kljub rahli vlogi favoritinje ohraniti hladnokrvnost, uspešno zaključiti srečanje in izpolniti zadane cilje.
We are favorites on paper, and we have to justify that on the court,
Tonček Štern stated.
Tonček Štern Returns Following Shoulder Rehabilitation
The fixture marks a significant personal milestone for Štern, who missed the national team’s summer campaign due to a shoulder injury. V zadnjem dvoboju državnega prvenstva je Štern ponovno zaigral po okrevanju po poškodbi rame, ki ga je oddaljila tudi od poletnih nastopov v dresu z državnim grbom: Poškodbe so eden težjih del športnikovega življenja. His return to the court during domestic play provides a major offensive boost for the Ljubljana side as continental competition begins.
“Injuries are one of the hardest parts of an athlete’s life. It’s hard to watch your teammates do things you can’t. I’m overjoyed to be back. As for my shoulder, we’ve put in a tremendous amount of work outside of volleyball too. For now, I’m on the right track,” Tonček Štern noted.
Teammate Rok Bračko emphasizes that maintaining tactical discipline from the service line will dictate their rhythm on the court.
“We go for the win in every match, and that is also expected of us. If we do a good job on the serve, if we feel good in the hall and on the reception, it will immediately be easier and more relaxed to play, there will be more choices in the attack and the opponent will have more problems. We have to be aggressive there,” Rok Bračko said.
Broadcasting the Opening Leg Live From Doetinchem
The opening encounter of the second qualification round will be broadcast live on VOYO on Wednesday. Both teams enter the fixture looking to establish early continental momentum before the return leg.