The 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women is underway in Budaörs, with eight clubs beginning their battle for the two available places in Stage 2. From 28 to 30 August, the teams are competing at the BVUSS, with only the winner of each four-team group progressing. See the pictures here.
This season also brings a distinctive scoring system to the competition. Each individual match is played over three games, with every game won counting as one point towards the team’s overall score, placing added importance on every game throughout the tie.
MIRÓ Ganxets recorded a narrow 8-7 victory over PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow in the opening match of Group A.
The Polish side made the stronger start. Ilona SZTWIERTNIA took two games against Olga VOROBEVA, before Zuzanna WIELGOS also secured two against Anastasia KOLISH.
MIRÓ responded through Olga BLIZNET, who took two games against Paula KRYSINSKA. VOROBEVA then added two more against WIELGOS to bring the Spanish side back into contention.
The outcome was eventually decided in the final encounter between KOLISH and SZTWIERTNIA. KOLISH took the opening game 12-10 before SZTWIERTNIA responded 11-8, leaving everything to the last game.
KOLISH prevailed 11-9, giving MIRÓ Ganxets the decisive point and an 8-7 victory in a thrilling opening contest in Budaörs.
The second match in Group A produced exactly the same score, as Linz AG Froschberg edged STK Dr. Časl Zagreb 8-7.
Yurika NAMBA gave the Austrian side a perfect start, taking all three games against Yun-En TSAI, including a tight opener at 12-10.
Dr. Časl responded through Miu HIRANO, who took two games against Emiko TAGUCHI, before Margaryta PESOTSKA also collected two against Sara TOKIC.
NAMBA proved crucial again in her second appearance, taking the opening two games against HIRANO 11-9 and 11-4. HIRANO responded in the third, but Linz had moved closer to the winning mark.
Once again, everything came down to the final encounter. Kotomi OMODA took the opening two games against TAGUCHI, including a marathon first game at 19-17, but TAGUCHI responded by taking the last game 12-10.
That point proved decisive, completing another 8-7 thriller and giving reigning Europe Cup champions Linz AG Froschberg a winning start in Budaörs.
In Group B, SKST Plus Hodonin made an impressive start with an 8-2 victory over hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club, bringing the contest to an early conclusion.
Vlada VORONINA was dominant in the opening encounter against Leila IMRE, taking all three games 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 to give the Czech side an immediate advantage.
Binyue ZHANG added two more points against Dora MADARASZ. The Hungarian player responded strongly in the second game, winning it 11-3, but ZHANG took the third 11-6.
Nora DOHOCZKI gave Budaörs another point by winning the opening game against Marketa SEVCIKOVA, but the Hodonin player turned things around with 11-2 and 11-7 wins in the next two.
VORONINA then returned to the table against MADARASZ and needed only one game to bring the contest to an end. She won it convincingly 11-3, securing the eighth point and an 8-2 victory for Hodonin.
The final match of the opening day in Group B went right to the wire, with ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari edging Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca 8-7.
Son Cladera enjoyed the better start thanks to Adina DIACONU, who collected all three points against Pauline CHASSELIN. The opening two games were close at 11-9 and 12-10 before DIACONU took the third 11-6.
Quattro Mori responded through Elizabet ABRAAMIAN and Tania PLAIAN. ABRAAMIAN took two games against Paulina VEGA, while PLAIAN did the same against Eugenia SASTRE to bring the Italian side back into the contest.
DIACONU continued her excellent performance in her second appearance. She recovered after losing the opening game to ABRAAMIAN and won the next two, including a tight third game 12-10.
That left Quattro Mori needing a strong finish, and CHASSELIN delivered it. Facing VEGA in the final encounter, she won all three games, taking a close opener 12-10 before pulling away 11-3 and 11-4.
Those three points turned the match in Quattro Mori’s favour and completed a dramatic 8-7 victory, giving last season’s Europe Cup runners-up a winning start in Budaörs.
