Strumica beaten in Finland — 0–3 loss in first CEV Challenge Cup match
In the opening round, Strumica fell to Ford Levoranta Sastamala 25–13, 25–20 and 25–17 in Finland.
Strumica opened their CEV Challenge Cup campaign with a straight-sets defeat in Finland on November 12, 2026. The visitors fell to Ford Levoranta Sastamala 3–0, with set scores 25–13, 25–20 and 25–17.
Match summary
Ford Levoranta Sastamala controlled the contest from the outset, running away in the first set and allowing Strumica only 13 points. The Macedonian side offered a stiffer challenge in the second set, but the Finnish hosts closed it out 25–20 and confirmed their dominance with a 25–17 third set.
Statistically the home team had the upper hand: 47 attack points to Strumica's 25, 11 blocks to 5, and 5 aces to 3.
Strumica's most prolific scorer was Taylor Trip with 10 points. Kristian Iliev contributed eight points and Filip Madjunkov added seven.
Earlier, coach Pokonoli had signalled an aggressive approach before the tie, saying: "We'll attack from the first minute, we want a win at our stadium!"
No further details were disclosed about the return leg; the result leaves Strumica facing an uphill task to overturn the deficit in the next match of the two-legged tie.
Photo: CEV.eu
