The 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women Stage 1 concluded in Budaörs on Sunday, with Linz AG Froschberg and SKST Plus Hodonin emerging as group winners and securing the two available places in Stage 2.
Linz and Hodonin now will join the six directly qualified clubs in a single group of eight teams. Each club will face every other team once over seven rounds, with the battle for the next phase of the Champions League continuing from there.
Linz AG Froschberg secured their place in Stage 2 of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women after completing Group A with three victories from three matches. The Austrian side closed the group with an 8-1 win over PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow, while STK Dr. Časl Zagreb finished their weekend with an 8-2 victory over MIRÓ Ganxets.
Pictures by Szilvi HOFFER here.
Linz entered the final day as the only unbeaten team in Group A after Friday’s narrow 8-7 victory over Dr. Časl and Saturday’s 8-2 success against MIRÓ Ganxets.
Against Rzeszow, Emiko TAGUCHI collected two points in the opening encounter with Ilona SZTWIERTNIA. TAGUCHI edged the first game 12-10, SZTWIERTNIA responded 11-8, before the Linz player took the third 11-7.
Yurika NAMBA then gave Linz complete control with three straight games against Paula KRYSINSKA, winning 11-4, 11-2 and 11-3.
Tatiana KUKULKOVA completed the job against Oliwia WATOR. She took all three games 11-3, 11-7 and 11-8 to secure the 8-1 victory and Linz’s place in Stage 2.
Earlier, STK Dr. Časl Zagreb finished their Group A programme with an impressive 8-2 victory over MIRÓ Ganxets.
Kotomi OMODA recovered after losing the opening game against Anastasia KOLISH 10-12, winning the next two 11-8, 11-8. Margaryta PESOTSKA followed with two points against Olga VOROBEVA, before Yun-En TSAI took all three games against Olga BLIZNET.
OMODA then returned against VOROBEVA and won 11-6 to bring the contest to an early conclusion.
Linz finishes Group A with a perfect three victories from three matches and progresses to Stage 2. Dr. Časl takes second place with two wins, MIRÓ Ganxets finishes with one, while Rzeszow ends the group without a victory.
In Group B, hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club finished Stage 1 on a positive note, recording an 8-4 victory over Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca to claim their first win of the weekend.
Son Cladera had the better start through Adina DIACONU, who took the opening two games against Leila IMRE 11-4 and 11-7. IMRE responded in the third, winning 11-8.
Dora MADARASZ then collected two points for Budaörs against Paulina VEGA. Both of her wins came after close games, 12-10 and 11-9, before VEGA took the third 11-9.
Nora DOHOCZKI added another two points against Eugenia SASTRE. DOHOCZKI won the opener 11-6, SASTRE responded 11-7, but the Hungarian took the third 11-8.
IMRE returned to the table against VEGA with Budaörs in a strong position and this time took all three games. She won 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 to complete the 8-4 victory for the hosts. Budaörs therefore finishes its Group B run with one victory, while Son Cladera ends Stage 1 without a win.
In the decisive Group B match, SKST Plus Hodonin secured their place in Stage 2 of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women with an 8-4 victory over ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari. Both teams entered the final round with two wins, leaving the group winner to be decided in their head-to-head meeting.
Vlada VORONINA gave Hodonin an excellent start against Tania PLAIAN, taking all three games 11-5, 11-8 and 11-6.
Binyue ZHANG followed against Elizabet ABRAAMIAN. The Quattro Mori player took the opening game 11-9, but ZHANG responded with two 11-7 wins to add another two points for the Czech side.
Pauline CHASSELIN kept Quattro Mori in contention against Karin GROFOVA. GROFOVA won the first game 11-8, but CHASSELIN edged the second 12-10 and the third 11-9.
VORONINA then returned to face ABRAAMIAN with Hodonin closing in on qualification. She took the opening game 11-8, ABRAAMIAN replied 11-9, before VORONINA won the third 11-7 to deliver the decisive eighth point and send Hodonin through to Stage 2.
SKST Plus Hodonin finishes Group B with a perfect three victories from three matches and takes the only available place in Stage 2. ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari finishes second with two wins, hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club third with one victory, while Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca ends the group without a win.
