2016–17 CEV Women's Champions League

The CEV Champions League was the highest level of European club volleyball in the 2016–17 season and the 57th edition. The Turkish club VakıfBank Istanbul won its third title and qualified to the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship as European champion, besides being already invited by the FIVB, along with Eczacıbaşı VitrA and Voléro Zürich. The Italian club Imoco Volley Conegliano won the silver medal and Turkish Eczacıbaşı VitrA claimed the bronze medal. The Chinese Zhu Ting from VakıfBank Istanbul was awarded Most Valuable Player. Fourth placed club, Dinamo Moscow later received the last wild card to the Club World Championship by the FIVB.

Qualification

A total of 16 team participate of the main competition, with 12 teams being allocated direct vacancies on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions and 4 teams qualified from the qualification rounds.

:1.Team qualified via Champions League qualification round.

Format

;League round
A round-robin format (each team plays every other team in its pool twice, once home and once away) where 16 teams were drawn to 4 pools of 4 teams each.

Pool winners and two second place with the best results qualified for the .

The organizer of the were determined during the League Round and qualified directly for the Final Four.

The standings is determined by the number of matches won.
In case of a tie in the number of matches won by two or more teams, their ranking is based on the following criteria:
*result points (points awarded for results: 3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss);
*set quotient (the number of total sets won divided by the number of total sets lost);
*points quotient (the number of total points scored divided by the number of total points lost);
*results of head-to-head matches between the teams in question.

;Playoffs
A knockout format where the 6 qualified teams are each draw into one of the 3 matches with each match consisting of two legs (home and away).

Result points are awarded for each leg (3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss). After two legs, the team with the most result points advances to the . In case the teams are tied after two legs, a is played immediately at the completion of the second leg. The Golden Set winner is the team that first obtains 15 points, provided that the points difference between the two teams is at least 2 points (thus, the Golden Set is similar to a tiebreak set in a normal match).

;Final Four
A single-elimination format where the three winners of the Playoffs are joined by the Final Four hosts and draw to play the semifinals (winners advance to the final and losers to the 3rd place match). In case two teams from the same country qualify for the semifinals, they will play each other.

Pools composition

*Drawing of lots was held in Rome, Italy on 9 June 2016.

Squads

League round

*All times are local.

Pool A

Pool B

Pool C

Pool D

Playoffs

*Drawing of lots was held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on 3 March 2017.
*All times are local.

Playoff 6

First leg

Second leg

Final four

*Organizer: Imoco Volley Conegliano
*Venue: PalaVerde, Treviso, Italy
*All times are Central European Summer Time ( UTC+02:00).
*In case that two teams from the same country qualify for the semifinals, they will have to play each other.

Semifinals

3rd place match

Final

Final standing

Awards

*Most valuable player
*: Zhu Ting ( VakıfBank Istanbul)
*Best setter
*: Naz Aydemir ( VakıfBank Istanbul)
*Best outside spikers
*: Kelsey Robinson (Imoco Volley Conegliano)
*: Kimberly Hill ( VakıfBank Istanbul)
*Best middle blockers
*: Milena Rasic ( VakıfBank Istanbul)
*: Rachael Adams (Eczacıbaşı VitrA)
*Best opposite spiker
*: Lonneke Sloetjes ( VakıfBank Istanbul)
*Best libero
*: Monica De Gennaro (Imoco Volley Conegliano)

References

External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 Women's Cev Champions League
CEV Women's Champions League
CEV Women's Champions League
CEV Women's Champions League