Ethnikos Alexandroupolis V.C.


Ethnikos Alexandroupolis Volleyball Club is the volleyball department of Ethnikos Alexandroupolis multi-sport club that based in Alexandroupoli, Greece. It plays almost constantly in A1 Greek Volleyleague and it is the most consistent club in the Greek league except Athens and Thessaloniki. Its colours are blue and white and its home is the Closed Gym of Alexandroupoli 'Michalis Paraskevopoulos'.

History

Ethnikos Alexandroupolis was founded in 1927 as a music and sport club. In 1937 it was dissolved. In 1947, it was refounded again after the Second World War. It developed sport sections in football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and track and field. The most successful section is the volleyball team that has an almost constant presence in the first division. It is the first provincial volleyball club in appearances in the Greek Volleyball Championship and one of the most successful in Greek Volleyball in terms of dynamics, discrimination and many players who have emerged from the club making a huge career in Greek and world Volleyball. Traditionally the playing trunk group based on home-grown players and for this reason Alexandroupolis and Evros considered the "metropolis of the Greek volleyball", because volleyball players from Evros staff for years all national volleyball teams of Greece.

1970s

In the 1970s the team had a good presence occupying high positions in the league. In the 1978–79 season Ethnikos Alexandroupolis played for the first time in Europe in the CEV Cup Winner's Cup against the Turkish team Vinilex Istanbul, from which lost in both matches 3–0.

1980s

In 1980–81 the team of Ethnikos Alexandroupolis competed in the Greek Cup final and the same year in European competitions.
In the 1981–82 season, Ethnikos Alexandroupolis ranked in fourth place in the Greek League and competed the following year in the CEV Cup against Portuguese team Espinio, which was ruled out by a single point, as the teams' home games had exactly the same result, 3–0 sets.
In 1982–83, the team was fourth in the league and competed for the CEV Cup the following year versus the powerful team Panini Modena of Italy which also won the title of that year. Ethnikos was excluded after losing in both games 3–0 sets.
In 1983–84, the Alexandroupoli's team was ranked sixth in the championship and participated the following year in the Balkan Volleyball Cup that held in Constantinople. Ethnikos ranked fourth, with participation of teams from all Balkan countries.

1990s, 2000s

Then, there was a period with renewal of the team players, resulting many playing transitions. After the mid-90s, the team recovered with foreign players additions, as imposed by the conditions of the era, was able to present a good playing presence.

2010s

Ethnikos Alexandroupolis played again in the European competitions in the autumn of 2013, after 30 years, finishing 4th at 2012–13 Volleyleague and competing in the 2013-14 CEV Cup, from which was eliminated in the phase of 32 by Polish PGE Skra Bełchatów with two defeats. He continued in the 2013–14 CEV Challenge Cup of the same season, playing totally 6 European games that year, winning two, even qualifying against the Belarusian Kommunalnik Grodno. Ethnikos was eliminated by Belgian Euphony Asse-Lennik in the phase of 16 in the golden set.
The most successful season of the club was in 2013–14 during it won the unofficial title of winter champions and then Alexandroupoli's team played in the play off finals of the championship against Olympiacos, finishing in 2nd place. This season won the participation in the 2014–15 CEV Challenge Cup, reaching the quarterfinals.
During the 2014–15 season the team participated in European competitions through the 2014–15 CEV Challenge Cup and reached the quarter-finals excluding in a raw: the Swiss team TV Schönenwerd, Estonian Selver Tallinn and Czech Fatra Zlín. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals by that year's finalist S.L. Benfica with two defeats. In the Greek competitions, Ethnikos Alexandroupolis reached the final of the League Cup, that lost from Olympiacos, 3–1 sets. He finished sixth in the Greek Championship, but won the right to compete in Europe for the following season, as Panathinaikos and Kifissia, who finished 4th and 5th respectively, declined to participate in European tournaments, so the team from Thrace took their place.
In the 2015–16 season the team reached the 2015–16 CEV Challenge Cup quarterfinals for the second consecutive year representing Greece, and was eliminated by the same opponent, Portuguese S.L. Benfica, again with two defeats. Previously, the Evros's team had excluded Slovenian Panvita Pomgrad, Slovakian VK Prievidza and Serbian Spartak Ljig. The team ranked 7th in the Championship, as was the 2016–17 season.
In 2017–18, Ethnikos Alexandroupolis arrives for the second time in his history tο the final of the Greek League Cup, when again defeated by Olympiacos, 3–0. The team from Thrace finishes 9th in Greek championship as well as in the next season 2018–19, avoiding relegation both 2 years in play out.
The coach of the team from 2012–13 until 2018–19 was the appearances record holder of Greek National Volleyball team, Thanassis Moustakidis.

Rankings of Ethnikos Alexandroupolis in A1 Greek Volleyleague

International team's volleyball players and honours with Greek national volleyball teams

Honours

Men's Team Honours

2016–2017 roster
Shirt NoPlayerHeightPosition
1 Dimitris Mouchlias1.96Opposite
2 Giannis Kavaratzis1.95Opposite
3 Kostas Vlachopoulos1.93Setter
4 Juarez Gomes Leal Junior1.96Outside Hitter
5 Dimitris Chatzopoulos2.01Middle Blocker
6 Daniel Vanegas1.95Outside Hitter
7 Sokratis Charalampidis1.98Outside Hitter
8 Giannis Charitonidis1.85Setter
10 Dimitris Miros1.83Libero
11 Achilleas Andravizos1.94Outside Hitter
12 Kassandros Stiggas2.00Middle Blocker
13 Nikolaos Palentzas1.98Opposite
14 Paraskevas Tselios2.07Middle Blocker
15 Achilleas Konstantinidis1.87Outside Hitter
16 Vasilis Stoiloudis2.00Middle Blocker
17 Marios Papazoglou1.87Setter
20 Grigoris Kontostathis1.90Libero

Technical and managerial staff

Notable players