2014–15 CEV Women's Challenge Cup
# 2014–15 CEV Women's Challenge Cup

The 2014–15 CEV Women's Challenge Cup was the 35th edition of the European Challenge Cup volleyball club tournament, the former "CEV Cup".

## Format

The tournament was played on a knockout format, originally a total of 51 teams were to participate, due to withdraws a total of 49 teams participated. Initially 35 teams were allocated vacancies to enter the competition at the 'Qualification phase', with another 14 teams (after 2 teams withdraw) joining from the Women's CEV Cup entering the competition at the 'Main phase' stage (as per 'Round composition' below).

On 12 June 2014, a drawing of lots in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, determined the team's pairing for each match. Each team played a home and an away match with result points 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 advanced to the next round. In case the teams were tied after two legs, a Golden Set was 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).

### Round composition

* 1st Round: 6 teams
* 2nd Round: 1st Round winners (3 teams) + 29 teams
* 16th Final: 2nd Round winners (16 teams) + 14 teams from CEV Cup
* 8th Final onwards: winners

## Participating teams

* A total of 49 teams participated, 35 were allocated direct places and 14 joined from the Women's CEV Cup entering at the 'Main phase'.

| Country | No. teams | No. teams | No. teams | Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Country | Vac | Cev | Total | Teams |
| Austria | 3 | 2 | 5 | ASKÖ Linz-Steg ATSC Sparkasse Klagenfurt SVS Post Schwechat Ti Meraner Volley Innsbruck UVC Holding Graz |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 4 | Kanti Schaffhausen Sagres Neuchâtel UC TSV Düdingen Volley Köniz |
| Hungary | 3 | - | 3 | Linamar Békéscsabai RSE Teva Gödöllõ Vasas Obuda Budapest |
| Netherlands | 3 | - | 3 | Alterno Apeldoorn Sliedrecht Sport VC Sneek |
| Belgium | 2 | 1 | 3 | Asterix Kieldrecht VC Oudegem VDK Gent Dames |
| Romania | 2 | 1 | 3 | C.S.M. București CSU Târgu Mureș Dinamo Romprest București |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | - | 2 | ŽOK Bimal-Jedinstvo Brčko ŽOK Gacko |
| Greece | 2 | - | 2 | A.E.K. Athens AON Pannaxiakos Naxos |
| Turkey | 2 | - | 2 | Bursa BBSK (5) İlbank Ankara (6) |
| France | 1 | 1 | 2 | ASPTT Mulhouse Rocheville Le Cannet |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 2 | Rote Raben Vilsbiburg Schweriner SC |
| Israel | 1 | 1 | 2 | Hapoel Kfar Saba Haifa VC |
| Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | Calcit Kamnik ŽOK Braslovče |
| Ukraine | - | 2 | 2 | Khimik Yuzhny Orbita ZTMC-ZNU Zaporozhye |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | - | 1 | Azerrail Baku (4) |
| Belarus | 1 | - | 1 | Minchanka Minsk |
| Bulgaria | 1 | - | 1 | Levski Sofia |
| Croatia | 1 | - | 1 | OK Poreč |
| Finland | 1 | - | 1 | Oriveden Ponnistus Orivesi |
| Luxembourg | 1 | - | 1 | RSR Walfer |
| Norway | 1 | - | 1 | Stod Volley Steinkjer |
| Russia | 1 | - | 1 | Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg |
| Serbia | 1 | - | 1 | Jedinstvo Stara Pazova |
| Spain | 1 | - | 1 | CV Barcelona (3) |
| Czech Republic | - | 1 | 1 | SK UP Olomouc |
| Italy | - | 1 | 1 | Igor Gorgonzola Novara |

    1.^ Team qualified via CEV Cup entering the 16th Final.

## Qualification phase

### 1st round

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 25–26 October 2014
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 1–2 November 2014

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Teva Gödöllõ | 3 – 0 3 – 1 | SVS Post Schwechat |
| Sliedrecht Sport | 3 – 2 3 – 2 | Vasas Obuda Budapest |
| ŽOK Gacko | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | İlbank Ankara |

### 2nd round

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 11–13 November 2014
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 25–27 November 2014

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Bursa BBSK | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | UVC Holding Graz |
| A.E.K. Athens | 3 – 0 0 – 3 Golden Set: 5–15 | ŽOK Bimal-Jedinstvo Brčko |
| Linamar Békéscsabai RSE | 3 – 1 3 – 2 | Teva Gödöllõ |
| OK Poreč | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Jedinstvo Stara Pazova |
| VC Oudegem | 1 – 3 0 – 3 | Schweriner SC |
| Asterix Kieldrecht | 3 – 0 3 – 1 | CV Barcelona |
| VC Sneek | 3 – 2 0 – 3 | Alterno Apeldoorn |
| RSR Walfer | 1 – 3 0 – 3 | ASPTT Mulhouse |
| Ti Meraner Volley Innsbruck | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Azerrail Baku |
| Stod Volley Steinkjer | 3 – 0 3 – 1 | Sliedrecht Sport |
| ŽOK Braslovče | 1 – 3 1 – 3 | TSV Düdingen |
| Oriveden Ponnistus Orivesi | 3 – 2 1 – 3 | Kanti Schaffhausen |
| C.S.U Târgu Mureș | 3 – 2 1 – 3 | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
| Minchanka Minsk | 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden Set: 10–15 | AON Pannaxiakos Naxos |
| İlbank Ankara | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | Levski Sofia |
| Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg | 3 – 1 3 – 1 | C.S.M. București |

## Main phase

In this stage of the competition, the sixteen qualified teams of the Qualification phase were joined by the losing teams from the 2014–15 Women's CEV Cup. From the 16 teams expected to join from the CEV Cup, 14 teams entered the competition, after the withdraw of 2 teams. That meant two teams received a 16th Final bye.

| Qualified via the Qualification phase | Qualified via Women's CEV Cup |
| - | - |
| Bursa BBSK ŽOK Bimal-Jedinstvo Brčko Linamar Békéscsabai RSE Jedinstvo Stara Pazova Schweriner SC Asterix Kieldrecht Alterno Apeldoorn ASPTT Mulhouse Azerrail Baku Stod Volley Steinkjer TSV Düdingen Kanti Schaffhausen Hapoel Kfar Saba AON Pannaxiakos Naxos İlbank Ankara Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg | Rocheville Le Cannet VDK Gent Dames Dinamo Romprest București Volley Köniz Haifa VC ASKÖ Linz-Steg Orbita ZTMC-ZNU Zaporozhye Khimik Yuzhny Sagres Neuchâtel UC SK UP Olomouc Rote Raben Vilsbiburg Calcit Kamnik ATSC Sparkasse Klagenfurt Igor Gorgonzola Novara |

### 16th Final

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 9–11 December 2014
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 16–18 December 2014

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| SK UP Olomouc | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Bursa BBSK |
| Orbita ZTMC-ZNU Zaporozhye | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | ŽOK Bimal-Jedinstvo Brčko |
| Bye | – – | Linamar Békéscsabai RSE |
| Rote Raben Vilsbiburg | 3 – 0 1 – 3 Golden set: 15–13 | Jedinstvo Stara Pazova |
| Schweriner SC | – – | Bye |
| ATSC Sparkasse Klagenfurt | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Asterix Kieldrecht |
| VDK Gent Dames | 3 – 0 0 – 3 Golden set: 10–15 | Alterno Apeldoorn |
| Igor Gorgonzola Novara | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | ASPTT Mulhouse |
| Azerrail Baku | 3 – 0 1 – 3 Golden set: 15–11 | Volley Köniz |
| Stod Volley Steinkjer | 3 – 0 3 – 1 | Calcit Kamnik |
| TSV Düdingen | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Khimik Yuzhny |
| Haifa VC | 1 – 3 1 – 3 | Kanti Schaffhausen |
| Rocheville Le Cannet | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | Hapoel Kfar Saba |
| AON Pannaxiakos Naxos | 3 – 0 2 – 3 | Sagres Neuchâtel UC |
| Dinamo Romprest București | 0 – 3 1 – 3 | İlbank Ankara |
| Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | ASKÖ Linz-Steg |

### 8th Final

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 13–15 January 2015
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 20–22 January 2015

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Bursa BBSK | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | Orbita ZTMC-ZNU Zaporozhye |
| Linamar Békéscsabai RSE | 1 – 3 0 – 3 | Rote Raben Vilsbiburg |
| Asterix Kieldrecht | 0 – 3 1 – 3 | Schweriner SC |
| Alterno Apeldoorn | 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden set: 5–15 | Igor Gorgonzola Novara |
| Stod Volley Steinkjer | 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden set: 18–16 | Azerrail Baku |
| Khimik Yuzhny | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | Kanti Schaffhausen |
| AON Pannaxiakos Naxos | 3 – 0 3 – 2 | Rocheville Le Cannet |
| İlbank Ankara | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg |

### 4th Final

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 3–5 March 2015
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 10–12 March 2015

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Rote Raben Vilsbiburg | 0 – 3 1 – 3 | Bursa BBSK |
| Igor Gorgonzola Novara | 1 – 3 2 – 3 | Schweriner SC |
| Stod Volley Steinkjer | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Khimik Yuzhny |
| AON Pannaxiakos Naxos | 0 – 3 0 – 3 | Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg |

## Final phase

### Semi-finals

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 25 March 2015
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 29 March 2015

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Schweriner SC | 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden set: 10–15 | Bursa BBSK |
| Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg | 3 – 0 3 – 0 | Khimik Yuzhny |

### Finals

* 1st leg (Team #1 home) 8 April 2015
* 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 12 April 2015

| Team #1 | Results | Team #2 |
| - | - | - |
| Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg | 3 – 0 1 – 3 Golden set: 11–15 | Bursa BBSK |

* 2014–15 CEV Women's Challenge Cup Champions
* Bursa BBSK 1st title

## Awards

| Award | Winner | Team |
| - | - | - |
| MVP | Meryem Boz | Bursa BBSK |
