The women's volleyball teams from VfB Suhl Lotto Thüringen and Dresdner SC have been drawn into very tough groups in the Champions League draw in Luxembourg. The German champions from Suhl, who are making their debut in Europe’s top-tier competition, will face the Polish champions, PGE Grot Budowlani Lodz, in Pool E during the group stage. In addition, Laszlo Hollosy’s team will face the top Turkish club Galatasaray Istanbul, which won the CEV Cup last season. The VfB women already know their third opponent, as they faced Romanian champions CSO Voluntari in the CEV Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 after two matches against the Bucharest team.
The Dresden team, which finished second in the league, will also face only top European teams in Pool B. For the second time in a row, Alexander Waibl’s team will face the Italian champions and cup winners—as well as last year’s Champions League third-place finishers—Carraro Prosecco Conegliano in the group stage; German national team player Anastasia Cekulaev will also be playing for them starting this season. Igor Gorgonzola Novaro is another top Italian team awaiting the DSC women. Last year’s fourth-place finisher will also feature two German national team players—Emilia Weske and Lina Alsmeier—on its roster for the upcoming season. In addition, the team from Dresden—which missed the knockout stage of the Champions League last year but finished third in the CEV Cup—will face KS Developres Reszow, the Polish league runner-up.
