The 2017–18 CEV Women's Challenge Cup was the 38th edition of the European Challenge Cup volleyball club tournament, the former "CEV Cup".

Format The tournament is played on a knockout format, with 37 teams participating. Initially 10 teams play a qualification round with the 5 winners advancing to the main phase. On 14 June 2017, a drawing of lots in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, determined the team's pairing for each match. Each team plays 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 advances to the next round. 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).

Participating teams Drawing of lots for the 37 participating team was held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on 14 June 2017. Serbian team Železničar Lajkovac qualified as 2017 BVA Cup winner.

RankCountryNo. teamsQualified teamsTotal11-1Bursa BBSK21-1Dinamo Krasnodar41-1Azerrail Baku62-2Viteos Neuchâtel UniversitéSm'Aesch Pfeffingen81-1Nantes VB92-2CSM TârgovișteŞtiinţa Bacău101-1TJ Ostrava11112Tent ObrenovacŽelezničar Lajkovac12123Hermes OostendeAmigos-Van Pelt ZoerselSharks Charleroi13112OrPo OrivesiPölkky Kuusamo161-1Olympiacos Piraeus191-1Vasas Óbuda Budapest21123Askö Linz-StegUVC Holding GrazVB NÖ Sokol Schwechat22112Mladost ZagrebŽOK Osijek231-1ŽOK Gacko24123CV BarcelonaCV LogroñoIbsa CV Las Palmas251-1Randaberg IL271-1RSR Walfer281-1Levski Sofia291121. BVK BratislavaSlávia EU Bratislava301-1KV Kastrioti Ferizaji31112CK Ponta DelgadaAVC Famalicão361-1Holte IF471-1VBC Galina Schaan 1.Team entering at Qualification round.

Qualification round 1st leg (Team #1 home) 21–23 November 2017 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 28–30 November 2017

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 1 Slávia EU Bratislava 1 – 3 0 – 3 UVC Holding Graz 2 ŽOK Osijek 2 – 3 3 – 2 Golden Set: 16–14 VB NÖ Sokol Schwechat 3 Pölkky Kuusamo 1 – 3 0 – 3 Sharks Charleroi 4 AVC Famalicão 0 – 3 0 – 3 CV Logroño 5 Ibsa CV Las Palmas 3 – 2 3 – 1 Amigos-Van Pelt Zoersel

Main phase 16th Finals 1st leg (Team #1 home) 12–14 December 2017 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 9–11 January 2018

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 6 RSR Walfer 0 – 3 0 – 3 Bursa BBSK 7 Sharks Charleroi 3 – 0 3 – 2 CV Barcelona 8 CK Ponta Delgada 1 – 3 2 – 3 Hermes Oostende 9 Železničar Lajkovac 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden Set: 13–15 Tent Obrenovac 10 Randaberg IL 0 – 3 0 – 3 Nantes VB 11 VBC Galina Schaan 1 – 3 2 – 3 Vasas Óbuda Budapest 12 Ibsa CV Las Palmas 3 – 1 3 – 2 Askö Linz-Steg 13 Holte IF 0 – 3 1 – 3 Viteos Neuchâtel Université 14 Ştiinţa Bacău 3 – 1 0 – 3 Golden Set: 15–13 Azerrail Baku 15 Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen 1 – 3 3 – 0 Golden Set: 15–10 Mladost Zagreb 16 CV Logroño 2 – 3 0 – 3 Olympiacos Piraeus 17 Levski Sofia 1 – 3 0 – 3 CSM Târgoviște 18 ŽOK Osijek 0 – 3 0 – 3 TJ Ostrava 19 KV Kastrioti Ferizaji 0 – 3 0 – 3 OrPo Orivesi 20 1. BVK Bratislava 3 – 0 3 – 0 ŽOK Gacko 21 UVC Holding Graz 2 – 3 0 – 3 Dinamo Krasnodar

8th Finals 1st leg (Team #1 home) 23–25 January 2018 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 6–8 February 2018

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 22 Sharks Charleroi 0 – 3 0 – 3 Bursa BBSK 23 Hermes Oostende 3 – 0 0 – 3 Golden Set: 15–13 Tent Obrenovac 24 Vasas Óbuda Budapest 2 – 3 0 – 3 Nantes VB 25 Ibsa CV Las Palmas 3 – 0 1 – 3 Golden Set: 10–15 Viteos Neuchâtel Université 26 Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen 2 – 3 3 – 1 Ştiinţa Bacău 27 Olympiacos Piraeus 2 – 3 3 – 1 CSM Târgoviște 28 OrPo Orivesi 0 – 3 1 – 3 TJ Ostrava 29 Dinamo Krasnodar 3 – 0 3 – 1 1. BVK Bratislava

4th Finals 1st leg (Team #1 home) 20–22 February 2018 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 27 February – 1 March 2018

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 30 Hermes Oostende 0 – 3 0 – 3 Bursa BBSK 31 Viteos Neuchâtel Université 0 – 3 1 – 3 Nantes VB 32 Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen 1 – 3 0 – 3 Olympiacos Piraeus 33 TJ Ostrava 1 – 3 2 – 3 Dinamo Krasnodar

Final phase Semifinals 1st leg (Team #1 home) 14 March 2018 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 21 March 2018

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 34 Bursa BBSK 3 – 0 3 – 0 Nantes VB 35 Olympiacos Piraeus 3 – 2 3 – 0 Dinamo Krasnodar

Finals 1st leg (Team #1 home) 4 April 2018 2nd leg (Team #2 home) 11 April 2018

Match#Team #1  Results  Team #2 36 Olympiacos Piraeus 2 – 3 3 – 1 Bursa BBSK

Final standing

RankTeam Olympiacos Piraeus Bursa BBSKSemifinalists Nantes VB Dinamo Krasnodar

2017–18 CEV Women's Challenge Cup Champions Olympiacos Piraeus 1st title

Awards Award Winner TeamMVP Stella Christodoulou Olympiacos Piraeus

References

External links 2018 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Women