Conference Cup Women: Five teams seal ticket to next round after dramatic second day of qualifiers

Day two of the women’s Conference Cup Qualification Round saw five teams – CN Sant Feliu, Smile Cosenza Pallanuoto, CN Tenerife Echeyde, AC PAOK and NC Chania – secure their place in the next round after all five roared to victory in their respective games across the continent.

2025/26 Conference Cup Women
Qualification Round, Day 2
Saturday 15 November

Group A
(Cottonera, Malta)

SV Blau Weiss Bochum (GER) 8-15 CN Sant Feliu (ESP)
San Giljan ASC (MLT) 4-18 Goztepe Sport Klub (TUR)

Standings: 1. Sant Feliu 6pts, 2. Bochum 3pts, 2. Goztepe 3pts, 4. San Giljan 0pts

Group B
(Alba Iulia, Romania)

Smile Cosenza Pallanuoto (ITA) 21-3 VK Jadran Split (CRO)
CSM Unirea Alba Iulia (ROU) 20-5 ZVK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)

Standings: 1. Cosenza 6pts, 2. Alba Iulia 3pts, 2. Split 3pts, 4. Crvena Zvezda 0pts

Group C
(Catania, Italy)

Clube Fluvial Portuense (POR) 18-15 Dalton Koleji SK (TUR)
CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 11-7 ASD Brizz Nuoto (ITA)

Standings: 1. Tenerife 6pts, 2. Brizz 3pts, 2. Fluvial 3pts, 4. Koleji 0pts

Group D
(Cottonera, Malta)

Sirens ASC (MLT) 7-12 NC Chania (GRE)
AC PAOK (GRE) 21-16 ZVL-1886 (NED)

Standings: 1. PAOK 6pts, 2. Chania 5pts, 3. ZVL 1pt, 4. Sirens 0pts

Group A
(Cottonera, Malta)

SV Blau Weiss Bochum (GER) 8-15 CN Sant Feliu (ESP)
San Giljan ASC (MLT) 4-18 Goztepe Sport Klub (TUR)

The clash of the two Day 1 winners opened the session in Cottonera, and Bochum managed to keep pace with Sant Feliu through the first half.

Despite missing two penalties early, the Germans only trailed 2-3, then stayed in touch at 5-6 thanks to a late action goal by Emilia Khmil, who made up for those early misses.

But the Spaniards’ speed and composure soon made the difference, as they unleashed a decisive 0-5 run that settled the match and booked Sant Feliu’s place in the next round.

Bochum’s only consolation in the fourth was converting two penalties – while missing a third.

In the second match, Goztepe showed no mercy against hosts Sant Giljan. A powerful 2-7 opening quarter did the damage, and the Turks never eased off, setting up a do-or-die showdown with Bochum for the second qualifying spot on the final day.

Group B
(Alba Iulia, Romania)

Smile Cosenza Pallanuoto (ITA) 21-3 VK Jadran Split (CRO)
CSM Unirea Alba Iulia (ROU) 20-5 ZVK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)

Hosts Alba Iulia demolished Crvena Zvezda in the middle two periods, tearing through them with a devastating 14-1 run, as Cecilia Diaz led the charge with nine goals – an outstanding individual haul even in a game like this.

The Romanians will now go all out on the last day when they face Jadran Split for a place in the next round.

Jadran, who beat Zvezda 16-3 on Day 1, were forced into the underdogs’ role against Cosenza, and they proved no match for the Italians, who blew them away with 21 goals.

The Italians secured the top spot with that win, and their last match against the Serbs promises an even smoother cruise.

Group C
(Catania, Italy)

Clube Fluvial Portuense (POR) 18-15 Dalton Koleji SK (TUR)
CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 11-7 ASD Brizz Nuoto (ITA)

Portuense and Koleji were locked in a thrilling fight, their top aces driving each side as the lead swung back and forth.

Portuense played the better first half and never let their rivals get in front – though the 8-7 half-time score was curiously frozen almost five minutes before the break.

Koleji hit back in the third, firing in three unanswered goals and jumping ahead 9-12 with 3:14 remaining.

Portuense replied with a blistering counter-attack burst, hitting three goals in 58 seconds to level at 12-12, only for Nehir Alitparmak’s six-metre strike to restore the Turkish lead with 48 seconds on the clock.

But Koleji ran out of firepower in the fourth, while Portuense’s two sharpshooters, Jessica Joana and Beatriz Fernandez, proved lethal.

Both finished with six goals, each striking three times in the final period to flip the script. Alitparmak, who had scored six across the first three quarters, managed a seventh only at the buzzer – but by then Portuense were already cruising at 18-14.

In the big game of the evening, Tenerife edged out Brizz Nuoto in a clash defined by missed penalties and sharp defending.

Midway through the second, the Spaniards led 6-3 and had a penalty to stretch the gap to four, but they squandered it (having already missed one earlier in the quarter).

Teresa Lombardo’s late action goal offered the Italians a lifeline, trimming their deficit to 6-4 at half-time.

A twist followed early in the third as Brizz missed their second penalty, and Elena Camarena immediately restored Tenerife’s three-goal cushion.

Lombardo struck again to cut the gap back to two, and after 8-5 – despite yet another penalty smashing against the post – Brizz battled back to 8-6 before the final break.

Tenerife finally broke them in the fourth, hitting three straight goals – including a converted penalty – to put the game to bed at 11-6 with 4:13 remaining.

The Italians pulled one back, but Tenerife’s win was never truly in doubt.

Group D
(Cottonera, Malta)

Sirens ASC (MLT) 7-12 NC Chania (GRE)
AC PAOK (GRE) 21-16 ZVL-1886 (NED)

After their big comeback and shootout win against ZVL-1886 on Day 1, Chania delivered exactly what was needed to beat host Sirens – but nothing more. The Greeks stormed to a 0-6 lead in a little more than 10 minutes, then eased off and slipped into power-saving mode.

In the end, they closed out a 7-12 win, a scoreline that also reflected the Maltese side’s brave fight after that brutal start.

ZVL fell to the other Greek team, PAOK, and this time they had practically no chance to take anything positive from the game.

A disastrous start dictated the entire contest as PAOK smashed them in the opening eight minutes and jumped out to an 8-2 lead. The Dutch eventually found some rhythm up front and scored freely, but still trailed 14-7 at half-time.

They produced an even better spell in the third, adding seven more to claw back to 18-14, then rattled the Greeks further with two quick goals in 45 seconds to make it 18-16.

A timely time-out, though, settled PAOK, who responded with two strikes in a minute to restore the four-goal cushion.

Moments later, a penalty sealed PAOK’s win – and their qualification alongside fellow Greek side Chania.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

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