The 64th edition of the European Volleyball Confederation's top-tier European club competition, the CEV Champions League, is being held in the 2022-23 season.
The tournament, known as the CEV European Champions Cup, was established in 1959. It was rebranded as the CEV Champions League at the end of the 1999-2000 season.
The 64th edition of the Volleyball Champions League, Europe's premier volleyball competition featuring the best teams, will take place in 2022-23. This tournament serves as the volleyball equivalent of the Union of European Football Associations Champions League.
CEV Champions League Preview
In the upcoming 64th edition of the tournament, defending champions ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle face a tough challenge as they aim for a hat-trick of titles after securing victories over Itas Trentino in the 2021 and 2022 finals.
Italian clubs, particularly Trentino, are poised for a comeback in the tournament after suffering two consecutive final losses. They will be determined to compensate for their previous defeats in the current competition.
Most Successful Champions League Nations
* Italy: 19 Wins / 17 Runner-Up Finishes
* Soviet Union: 15 Wins / 3 Runner-Up Finishes
* Russia: 10 Wins / 4 Runner-Up Finishes
Since Trentino's three consecutive wins from 2009-2011, there has been only one winner, Civitanova, in 2019. Six other teams have reached the finals, but all were defeated, with four losses inflicted by a Russian club. Italian clubs have also secured four third-place finishes, demonstrating their consistent presence in the tournament.
Champions League Most Wins
In the tournament's early years, the Soviet Union dominated, producing fifteen champions between 1959 and 1991. The majority of these titles, a staggering thirteen, were won by CSKA Moscow, making them the most successful team with a commanding lead of over double the championships earned by their closest rival, Zenit Kazan.
Champions League Past Winners
The 2021 victory by ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle marked only the 2nd time a Polish team has won the tournament, with the last being Płomień Milowice in 1978. They repeated this success in 2022. Despite their defeat in the past two finals, Itas Trentino made it to their sixth consecutive final, showcasing the dominance of Italian clubs in the tournament, although 5 of those were losses.
North Region Standings
Conference
GP W-L Win Ratio % SF SA
Bellevue -Z 12 11-1 0.917 35 8
Skagit Valley -X 12 8-4 0.667 29 16
Edmonds -X 12 7-5 0.583 23 17
Everett -X 12 7-5 0.583 23 22
Whatcom 12 6-6 0.500 25 22
Olympic 12 2-10 0.167 10 32
Shoreline 12 1-11 0.083 5 33
East Region Standings
Conference
GP W-L Win Ratio % SF SA
North Idaho -Z 16 15-1 0.938 46 13
Columbia Basin -X 16 14-2 0.875 46 9
Yakima Valley -X 16 13-3 0.813 42 17
Treasure Valley -X 16 8-8 0.500 34 29
Walla Walla 15 6-9 0.400 21 32
Spokane 16 6-10 0.375 22 34
Blue Mountain 16 5-11 0.313 20 36
Wenatchee Valley 16 3-13 0.188 17 42
Big Bend 15 1-14 0.067 8 44
West Region Standings
Conference
GP W-L Win Ratio % SF SA
Highline -Z 12 11-1 0.917 35 8
Lower Columbia -Z 12 11-1 0.917 35 9
Pierce -X 12 6-6 0.500 23 22
Tacoma -X 12 6-6 0.500 21 20
S. Puget Sound 12 5-7 0.417 21 24
Green River 12 2-10 0.167 9 32
Centralia 12 1-11 0.083 6 35
The tournament's league round will have five groups, each with four teams that will play against each other both home & away, resulting in each team playing six games during the group stage. There will be twelve games in each group and sixty games during the group stage, providing ample opportunities for OLBG volleyball tipsters to offer their CEV Champions League predictions.