OK OTP Banka Branik

Last updated

OTP Banka Branik
Full nameOdbojkarski klub OTP Banka Branik
NicknameBankirke (The Bankers)
Founded1946;78 years ago (1946)
(as Polet) [1]
GroundLukna Sports Hall
(Capacity: 2,100)
ChairmanRobert Senica
ManagerŽiga Kos
League Slovenian Volleyball League
2023−24Regular season: 2nd
Playoffs: Runners-up
Website Club home page
Uniforms
Kit short left arm.png
Kit body.svg
Kit short right arm.png
Kit shorts.svg
Home
Kit short left arm.png
Kit body.svg
Kit short right arm.png
Kit shorts.svg
Away
Championships
1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019

Odbojkarski klub OTP Banka Branik (English: OTP Banka Branik Volleyball Club), commonly referred to as OTP Banka Branik, is a professional women's volleyball team based in Maribor that competes in the Slovenian Volleyball League. Formed in 1946, they are the most successful Slovenian women's volleyball team, winning the Slovenian League 16 times, Slovenian Cup 20 times and the regional MEVZA League 4 times. Before Slovenia's independence in 1991, the team won the Yugoslav Championship four times and reached the Yugoslav Cup final on eight occasions.

Contents

Branik's most notable international results include participation in the main phase of the CEV Women's Champions League, and reaching the final four tournament of the Women's CEV Cup.

History

Origins of volleyball in Maribor

Before World War II, the city of Maribor was known as the "cradle" of Yugoslav volleyball. [2] Volleyball in the city was firstly played by the gymnasts of the sport club Sokol-matica in 1924. In 1931, Maribor hosted the first national championship, where the women's senior selection of Sokol-matica won the title. [2] In the next years, the team won several more titles, including the last pre-war championship in 1940, when both the women's and men's selections won the national title. [2] In the 1930s, the women's volleyball selection became part of the 1. slovenski športni klub Maribor (English: First Slovene Sports Club Maribor), or simply 1. SSK Maribor, which is a predecessor of the Branik Sports Association, which still operates today.

Foundation, early success and decline

After World War II in 1945, 1. SSK Maribor and Sokol-matica merged into a new sports organization, named Fizkulturno društvo Maribor or simply FD Maribor. [3] The organization was renamed as Fizkulturno društvo Polet on 27 September 1946. [3] In the same year, the women's volleyball selection of the club was formed. In 1945, the inaugural edition of the Yugoslav Volleyball Championship was held. The Slovenian national team, which consisted mainly of players from Maribor, won the title in the women's edition. [4] The first proper club championship was held the following season in 1946, when Polet won its first Yugoslav national title. [1] In 1947 and 1948, Polet finished in second place behind another Slovenian team, Enotnost Ljubljana. [5] The team was renamed Branik in 1952, when the sports organization SŠD Polet and the association football team NK Branik Maribor merged into the Mariborsko športno društvo Branik (English: Maribor's sports association Branik), or simply MŠD Branik. [6] In 1953, the team, which was a mixture of young and experienced players, won its second national title after finishing above ŽOK Partizan. [7] In the next two years, Branik finished in second place before being relegated from the first division in 1959. [8]

The women's volleyball selection of MŠD Branik ceased to operate in 1968, after being unable to advance to the top division for several years. [9] After two years of inactivity, the volleyball selection was reformed, and was composed mostly of youth players. [9]

National champions of Yugoslavia

In 1976, SR Slovenia adopted a sports resolution known as the Portoroški sklepi (English: Portorož Conclusions), after which the sports associations in the country were reorganized. As a result, Branik merged with another team based in Maribor, Železničar. [10] The reorganization of the club marked a new era for the team; firstly, Branik was promoted to the second-highest division in Yugoslavia, where they finished second in the 1977–78 season. [11] After again finishing as the runners-up the following season, [12] Branik finally managed to finish in first place in the 1979–80 season. In the promotion play-offs, the team defeated Gradačac and earned a promotion to the Yugoslav top division. [13] [14]

Progression
YearPosition
19816th [15]
19825th [16]
19833rd [17]
19843rd [18]
19851st
19861st

In 1982, the team was renamed Paloma Branik due to the sponsorship agreement with the local tissue paper company Paloma from Sladki Vrh. In the 1984–85 season, Paloma Branik managed to win the Yugoslav national title for the third time in their history, the club's first national title in 32 years. The decisive match was played against Partizan in the newly built Tabor Hall, in front of 4,000 spectators, where Branik won 3–0. [19] The following season, Paloma Branik defended the title and won their fourth and final Yugoslav national title before the breakup of the country. [20] Between 1983 and 1991, Paloma Branik reached the final of the Yugoslav Cup eight times, but lost on all eight occasions. In the 1980s, the team began competing in international competitions governed by the European Volleyball Confederation. In 1985–86 and 1986–87, Paloma Branik represented Yugoslavia in the CEV Champions Cup. The club was eliminated in the first round on both occasions, by CSKA Moscow and CSKA Sofia, respectively. [1] [21]

Slovenian League domination

In 1991, Slovenia gained independence from SFR Yugoslavia. In 1992, Paloma Branik became the first champions of the newly established Slovenian Volleyball League. [22] In the same season, the team also won the inaugural Slovenian Volleyball Cup. [23] As the national champions, Branik qualified for the 1992–93 CEV Champions Cup, where the team was eliminated in the first round by the Hungarian team Tungsram SC. [24] [25] In the 1996–97 and 1999–2000 seasons, Branik reached the main phase of the competition, but failed to obtain a single win, finishing in the last place in their group on both occasions. [26] [27]

In the 2000–01 season, Branik reached the semi-finals of the CEV Women's Top Teams Cup, the second-tier continental competition for women's volleyball clubs of Europe. In the final four tournament, held in Vienna, the team was eliminated by the home side SVS Post Schwechat with a score of 3–1. [28] Branik later lost against Dynamo Odessa from Ukraine in a third-place playoff, finishing the competition in fourth place. [29]

In the first decade after Slovenia's independence, Branik was the most successful team in the country, winning eight out of eleven championships between 1992 and 2002. [22] However, after 2002, the team declined for several years and did not win the next national title until 2009. [22] In the 2010s, Branik became the dominant force of Slovenian volleyball for the second time, winning seven out of nine national championships between 2011 and 2019. [22]

In 2010, Branik won the regional Middle European League for the first time. [30] The team went on to win three more regional titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015. [30] [31]

Name changes

Club names through history:

Arena

Lukna Sports Hall Fed Cup Slovenia vs Germany in Maribor 2011.jpg
Lukna Sports Hall

OTP Banka Branik play their home matches at a 2,100 capacity Lukna Sports Hall in Maribor. [32] In the past, they played their home games at a 3,261 capacity [33] Tabor Hall, also located in Maribor.

Honours

Domestic

Regional

Players

2023−24 team

NumberNameBirthyearHeight (cm)Position
1 Flag of Slovenia.svg Iza Mlakar1995185Opposite
2 Flag of Slovenia.svg Klara Milošič2002191Middle blocker
3 Flag of Slovenia.svg Eva Kneževič2006179Wing spiker
6 Flag of Slovenia.svg Naja Šalamun2004176Wing spiker
7 Flag of Slovenia.svg Ronja Štampar2002184Middle blocker
8 Flag of Slovenia.svg Tinkara Ulrih2006161Libero
9 Flag of Slovenia.svg Tali Lekše2000180Wing spiker
11 Flag of Slovenia.svg Pia Senekovič2004176Middle blocker
12 Flag of Slovenia.svg Urška Cikač2004168Libero
13 Flag of Slovenia.svg Anja Farkaš2004175Setter
14 Flag of Slovenia.svg Isa Ramić2004188Wing spiker
15 Flag of Slovenia.svg Nika Milošič2005189Middle blocker
16 Flag of Slovenia.svg Monika Potokar (c)1987177Wing spiker
17 Flag of Slovenia.svg Lorena Kešelj2007190Middle blocker
18 Flag of Serbia.svg Andrea Tišma2003188Setter
Head coach: Žiga Kos
Assistant coach: Urban Hafner

Source: Volleyball Federation of Slovenia

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NK Maribor</span> Association football club in Slovenia

Nogometni klub Maribor is a Slovenian professional football club based in Maribor, Slovenia. It competes in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of the Slovenian football league system. Nicknamed "The Purples", the club was founded on 12 December 1960. They are regarded as a symbol of Slovenian football, particularly in their home region of Styria in northeastern Slovenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ljudski vrt</span> Football stadium, home of NK Maribor

Ljudski vrt is a football stadium in Maribor, the second-largest city of Slovenia. The stadium has a seating capacity of 11,709. It has been the home of NK Maribor since their formation in 1960, with the exception of a short period in early 1961. The stadium was originally the home of several other football teams based in Maribor, including Rapid and Branik. A prominent feature of the stadium is the main grandstand with a concrete arch, which is protected by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia as an architectural and historical landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slovenian Basketball League</span> Top-level professional mens basketball league in Slovenia

The Slovenian Basketball League, abbreviated as 1. SKL and known as the Liga OTP banka due to sponsorship reasons, is the top-level professional men's basketball league in Slovenia. The league is operated by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia and consists of eleven clubs. The most successful team is Cedevita Olimpija with 21 titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACH Volley</span> Slovenian professional mens volleyball club

ACH Volley is a Slovenian professional men's volleyball club based in Ljubljana that competes in the Slovenian League. They play their home matches at Tivoli Hall. The club was founded in 1970 and was based in Bled until 2011, when the team relocated to Ljubljana.

Hrvatski akademski odbojkaški klub Mladost or simply HAOK Mladost is a Croatian professional volleyball team based in Zagreb which is part of the HAŠK Mladost sports society. It was established in 1945. HAOK is the most successful Croatian volleyball team in both the men's and women's selections, as the teams have won over 50 national championships in Yugoslavia and Croatia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Toplak</span> Yugoslav footballer (1931–2021)

Ivan Toplak was a Serbian football player and manager. Toplak played for NK Olimpija Ljubljana and Red Star Belgrade, with whom he had much success. As a player he also represented the Yugoslavia national team. As a manager he also managed Red Star, had a managing period in the United States, managed almost all levels of the Yugoslavia national team and also managed the Indonesia national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NK Železničar Maribor</span> Football club

Nogometni klub Železničar Maribor, commonly referred to as NK Železničar Maribor or simply Železničar, was a Slovenian football club from Maribor. They qualified for the top division of Slovenian football, the Slovenian PrvaLiga, in the 1992–93 season, but were relegated in their first season, never returning to the top level. They were one of the most successful Slovenian clubs in the Yugoslav era, winning the Slovenian Republic League four times and the Slovenian Republic Cup twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RK Maribor Branik</span> Slovenian handball club

Rokometni klub Maribor Branik, commonly referred to as RK Maribor Branik or simply Branik, is a handball club from Maribor, Slovenia. As of the 2024–25 season, the club competes in the Slovenian Second Handball League, the third tier of Slovenian handball. They play their home games at Tabor Hall, a 3,261 capacity multi-purpose sports venue in Maribor. Between 2004 and 2010, the team was known as RK Klima Petek Maribor due to sponsorship reasons. Their biggest success is reaching the final of the Slovenian Handball Cup twice and reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup in the 2012–13 season.

Nogometni klub Maribor is a Slovenian professional association football club based in Maribor. It was founded in December 1960 by officials and players of NK Branik Maribor. With 16 Slovenian PrvaLiga titles and 9 Slovenian Cups, they are the most successful Slovenian team. Maribor is also the only Slovenian club that reached the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NK Branik Maribor</span> Football club

Nogometni klub Branik Maribor, known as NK Branik or simply Branik, was an association football club based in the city of Maribor. Founded on 29 January 1949 they traced their origin back to 1919 and the establishment of I. SSK Maribor, an association football club founded by Slovenian youth which ceased all operations due to World War II. NK Branik was disbanded on 11 August 1960 due to the food poisoning affair before their promotional qualifications match for the Yugoslav Second League against Karlovac. The club colours were black and white.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I. SSK Maribor</span> Football club

1. slovenski športni klub Maribor or simply I. SSK Maribor was a football club from Maribor. The club was founded in 1919. I. SSK Maribor had a fierce rivalry with NK Železničar Maribor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slovenia men's national volleyball team</span> Mens national volleyball team representing Slovenia

The Slovenia men's national volleyball team represents Slovenia in international volleyball competitions and friendly matches, and is governed by the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. The team made its debut at major tournaments in 2001, when it competed at the European Volleyball Championship. Between 2015 and 2021, Slovenia reached the final of the European Championship three times and finished as runners-up on all three occasions after losing to France, Serbia and Italy, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AKK Branik Maribor</span> Basketball team in Maribor, Slovenia

Akademski košarkarski klub Branik Maribor, commonly referred to as AKK Branik Maribor or simply Branik, is a basketball team based in Maribor, Slovenia. As of the 2024–25 season, Branik competes in the Slovenian Third League, the third level of Slovenian basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ŽKK Maribor</span> Basketball team in Maribor, Slovenia

Železničarski košarkarski klub Maribor, commonly referred to as ŽKK Maribor or simply ŽKK, was a basketball team based in Maribor, Slovenia. The club was founded in 1946 and was dissolved after the 2005–06 season due to financial difficulties.

The Middle European League or MEVZA League is a regional volleyball league, established in 2005 and contested by the club teams from the Middle European Volleyball Zonal Association (MEVZA). In the men's edition, the most successful team is ACH Volley with thirteen titles. Among women, OTP Banka Branik and Calcit Volley are the most successful with four titles each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slovenia men's national under-19 volleyball team</span>

The Slovenia men's national under-19 volleyball team represents Slovenia in international men's volleyball competitions under the age of 19 and is controlled by the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia, which is an affiliate of the Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) and also a part of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OK Maribor</span> Slovenian volleyball club

Odbojkarski klub Maribor or simply OK Maribor, known as i-Vent Maribor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Slovenian professional volleyball team based in Maribor. The team play their home games at Tabor Hall and competes in the Slovenian Volleyball League, the top division of Slovenian volleyball. Founded in 1945, the club has won the Slovenian national championship three times and the national cup four times.

The Slovenian Women's Volleyball Cup is the top annual women's volleyball cup competition in Slovenia, organised by the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. The first edition was played in the 1991–92 season. OTP Banka Branik is the most successful team with 20 titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Stojiljković</span> French volleyball player

Nina Stojiljković is a Serbian-French professional volleyball player of the France women's national volleyball team. Stojiljković won with the national team European Golden League, FIVB Challenger Cup and was part of the team when it made its Olympic debut.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Maribor skozi čas II. 2003. p. 507. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Obdobje 1930 – 1941" [Period of 1930 – 1941] (in Slovenian). zveza-msdbranik.si. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 "OBNOVA OBJEKTOV IN RAZVOJ DRUŠTVA PO 2. SVETOVNI VOJNI". zveza-msdbranik.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Zbornik 1. SSK Maribor, SŠD Polet, MŠD Branik 1919–79. Maribor. 1980. p. 251.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ "Mariborska odbojka". Večer . Vol. 1951, no. 266. Maribor. 12 November 1951. p. 4.
  6. ↑ "Ustanovitev mariborskega športnega društva Branik". zveza-msdbranik.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  7. ↑ "Odbojkarice Branika osvojile državno prvenstvo". Večer . Vol. 1953, no. 252. Maribor. 26 October 1953. p. 6.
  8. ↑ "V zlati dobi mariborske odbojke". Večer . Vol. 1975, no. 155. Maribor. 7 July 1975. p. 8.
  9. 1 2 "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). OK Nova KBM Branik. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  10. ↑ 70 let ŽŠD Maribor 1927–1997. Maribor. 1998. p. 84.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ↑ "Branik-Pula 3:0 b.b.". Večer . Vol. 1978, no. 95. Maribor. 24 April 1978. p. 8.
  12. ↑ "Fužinarke v kvalifikacije!". Večer . Vol. 1979, no. 83. Maribor. 9 April 1979. p. 8.
  13. ↑ "Branik-Radna 3:0". Večer . Vol. 1980, no. 82. Maribor. 7 April 1980. p. 10.
  14. ↑ "Branik-Gradačac 3:1". Večer . Vol. 1980, no. 100. Maribor. 28 April 1980. p. 7.
  15. ↑ "Dobro da je konec". Večer . Vol. 1981, no. 85. Maribor. 13 April 1981. p. 9.
  16. ↑ "Mariborčanke pete-Ravenčanke rešene". Večer . Vol. 1982, no. 79. Maribor. 5 April 1982. p. 10.
  17. ↑ "1.zvezna liga-ženske". Večer . Vol. 1983, no. 72. Maribor. 28 March 1983. p. 10.
  18. ↑ "Zmaga Palome Branika". Večer . Vol. 1984, no. 77. Maribor. 2 April 1984. p. 9.
  19. ↑ "Mariborčanke po 32. letih znova državne prvakinje". Večer . Vol. 1985, no. 58. Maribor. 11 March 1985. p. 7.
  20. ↑ "Paloma Branik državni prvak". Večer . Vol. 1986, no. 99. Maribor. 28 April 1986. p. 7.
  21. ↑ Jubilejni zbornik MŠD Branik 1980–1990. Maribor. 1991. pp. 62–63.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Odbojka" [Volleyball] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija . Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  23. ↑ "Naslov bodo branili Kamničani in Mariborčanke". odbojka.si (in Slovenian). Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. 17 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  24. ↑ "Tungsram SC BUDAPEST 3–1 Paloma Branik MARIBOR". cev.lu. European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  25. ↑ "Paloma Branik MARIBOR 0–3 Tungsram SC BUDAPEST". cev.lu. European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  26. ↑ "Mariborčanke prepričljivo zadnje". sta.si (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 19 February 1997. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "Za slovenske klube evropska odbojkarska sezona končana". sta.si (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 23 February 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  28. ↑ "Telekom Post WIEN 3–1 Infond Branik MARIBOR". cev.lu. European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  29. ↑ "Infond Branik MARIBOR 1–3 Dynamo-Jenestra ODESA". cev.lu. European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  30. 1 2 "Middle European League winners". mevza.volleynet.at. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  31. ↑ Sportal (13 February 2015). "Mariborčanke še četrtič na prestolu lige MEVZA (foto)" (in Slovenian). Siol . Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  32. ↑ "Športna dvorana Ljudski vrt – Lukna". maribor.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  33. ↑ Uredništvo (15 June 2017). "Mariborska dvorana Tabor še ne bo dočakala obnove". maribor24.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 25 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.