The final day of the women’s Challenger Cup Qualification Round didn’t disappoint, as the eight teams advancing to the next round were confirmed after several thrilling battles across Europe. Great Britain’s Otter Swimming Club, Türkiye’s Galatasaray Zena, and Germany’s SV Blau Weiss Bochum clinched the necessary results on Sunday to secure their places in the next round. They join Türkiye’s defending champions Izmir Buyuksehir SK, Serbia’s Vaterpolo Klub Vojvodina, Croatia’s VK Jadran Split and ZAVK Mladost, and Portugal’s Sport Lisboa E Benfica in the race for a Final Four berth.
Group A – Novi Sad (SRB)
- Vaterpolo Klub Vojvodina (SRB) 8-13 Izmir Buyuksehir SK (TUR)
- City of Manchester WPC (GBR) 18-9 Sliema ASC (MLT)
Standings:
- Izmir Buyuksehir SK, 9pts
- Vaterpolo Klub Vojvodina, 6pts
- City of Manchester WPC, 3pts
- Sliema ASC, 0pts
Izmir Buyuksehir SK solidified their place at the top of Group A with a decisive 13-8 victory over Vojvodina, maintaining their grip on the Challenger Cup. Leading from the start, Izmir showcased their dominance with Paris 2024 silver medalist Danijela Jackovich netting five goals and captain Kuebra Kus scoring four. In a consolation game for third place, City of Manchester WPC secured an 18-9 victory over Sliema ASC, with standout performances from Katy Cutler, Brooke Tafazolli, Amelie Cornell, Lucy Blenkinship, and Lily Ross.
Group B – Valletta (MLT)
- SV Blau-Weiss Bochum (GER) 19-11 Hapoel Emek HaYarden (ISR)
- Sirens ASC Malta (MLT) 6-11 VK Jadran Split (CRO)
Standings:
- VK Jadran Split, 9pts
- SV Blau-Weiss Bochum, 6pts
- Sirens ASC Malta, 3pts
- Hapoel Emek HaYarden, 0pts
SV Blau-Weiss Bochum secured second place in Group B with a 19-11 win over Hapoel Emek HaYarden, spurred by goals from Aylin Fry and Emilia Khmil. Meanwhile, VK Jadran Split topped the group with an 11-6 victory over Sirens ASC Malta, with Neli Jankovic contributing five goals to seal the win.
Group C – Strakonice (CZE)
- ZAVK Mladost (CRO) 18-5 Dalton Koleji SK (TUR)
- Asten Johnson Strakonice (CZE) 9-9 (0-3P) Otter Swimming Club (GBR)
Standings:
- ZAVK Mladost, 9pts
- Otter Swimming Club, 5pts
- Dalton Koleji SK, 3pts
- Asten Johnson Strakonice, 1pt
ZAVK Mladost remained undefeated in Group C with a decisive 18-5 victory over Dalton Koleji SK, with captain Iva Rozic scoring five goals to maintain her tournament scoring streak. Otter Swimming Club booked their ticket to the next round in a dramatic shootout against Asten Johnson Strakonice, who missed their first three penalties, allowing Otter to secure the win.
Group D – Alba Iulia (ROU)
- Galatasaray Zena (TUR) 10-8 SSV Esslingen (GER)
- CSM Unirea Alba Iulia (ROU) 22-4 ZVK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Standings:
- Sport Lisboa E Benfica, 11pts
- Galatasaray Zena, 9pts
- CSM Unirea Alba Iulia, 7pts
- SSV Esslingen, 3pts
- ZVK Crvena Zvezda, 0pts
Galatasaray Zena confirmed their place in the next round by defeating SSV Esslingen 10-8, with Alkistis Benekou leading the team’s offense. Hosts CSM Unirea Alba Iulia wrapped up their campaign with a commanding 22-4 win over ZVK Crvena Zvezda, though it wasn’t enough to overtake Galatasaray, who had secured second place.