2012 CEV Volleyball Champions League

Home of Belgian Champion NOLIKO Maaseik. The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee as well as the Royal Belgian Volleyball Federation have chosen the Maaseik Lotto Dôme as their Olympic training centre for volleyball. The facility has all the appropriate strong suits and technical facilities to host specific volleyball training sessions. The facility is described as highly suitable. In addition, the local area offers a full line-up of other sports facilities including a gym, an aqua centre and outdoor sports grounds as well as medical, wellness and hotel facilities that will also cater to more sizeable delegations. 

Sports centre facilities:

• Municipal sports hall with 3 sub-courts
• Fighting sports/martial arts hall
• Dance hall
• Top sports hall with 3 sub-courts and grandstands seating + 3,000 people
• Health City centre with designated rooms for fitness, aerobics, spinning
• Wellness centre with indoor and outdoor sauna, massage, Turkish bath etc.
• Intermunicipal swimming pool: 6 competition lanes of 25 metres, paddling pool for toddlers, instruction pool, water playground with a 120-metre water slide, outdoor swimming pool with sunbathing area for 2,500 people
• Central cafeteria on the first floor, accessible via lift and stairs, overlooking the swimming pool
• Adjacent to the cafeteria are 12 bowling lanes and a passageway to the top sports hall
• Outdoor terrace and wet terrace around the swimming pool
• AgorA function room/business equipped with a professional kitchen and seating 500 guests 

Mavoc Maaseik, first name of the Maaseiker volleyball club, was founded on 17th of March 1960 out of a team of students of the “Heilig-Kruis College” of Maaseik. In '75 -'76 the name Mavoc changed into D & V Motors (main sponsor) and the club celebrated the promotion to the highest level in Belgium (ere-divisie, now LIGA A). Our team is since '76, without interruption, playing in this league, the start of an impressive club record.

In '85 -'86 the firm SCANA NOLIKO became our main sponsor and Mathi Raedschelders our President: this gave a positive impuls to our club and turned out to be the start of a success story lasting already for more than 25 years. NOLIKO Maaseik, with Jos Klaps as Head coach, won the Belgian cup and became vice-champion. On 01.11.86 NOLIO Maaseik played it’s First European game against SC Leipzig.

In '90 -'91 the club won its first National title and the second cup, Head coach was Bert Goedkoop and Eddy Evens was selected Most Valuable Player of the season. Furthermore there was the foundation of the businessclub AGORA "Businessfriends NOLIKO Maaseik". A new building was constructed consisting out of permanent offices and a high quality restaurant. In '93-'94 and '94-'95 we reached the quarterfinales of the CEV-cup where we lost from Padova (ITA) and Nizhnevartovsk (RUS). Since 1996, coached by Anders Kristiansson, we played Champions League and we obtained following results:'96 (5th) - '97 (2nd), lost the final from Modena (ITA) - '98 (4th) - '99 (2nd) lost final from Treviso (ITA) in Almeria - '00 (3th) we won against Vienna in Treviso. Since 2001 we play without interruption in the Champions League “new style” (only the German club Friedrichshafen did better). In 2008 we became second in the final-4 of the CEV-cup after loosing from Roma (ITA) in Rome. All players and coaches are full professionals, they practise approximately 20 hours a week (without the games). The administration and organisation is done by 3 full-time staff members and a high number of volunteers.

SCANA NOLIKO nv and the club decided to continue the cooperation that already started in 1985: this long cooperation is unique in the history of Belgian sports. Due to Champions League requirements NOLIKO Maaseik had to move in 2001 to the Expodroom in Bree for the European home games. However in 2008 the club opened the brand new, magnificent LOTTO Dôme. A paradise for volleyball, 2600 seats in an arena, all with a perfect view on the court. In the top of the hall there is a VIP-lounge, downstairs there are a restaurant and a cafetaria for all fans. Next to the cafetaria there is a bowling hall with a link to the Aqua-Dôme, a swimming paradise with wellness. Next to the brilliant new accomodation we continued doing well with the team. After a very successful period of 12 years coach Anders Kristiansson was succeeded by Vital Heynen who has been NOLIKO’s setter for almost 20 years!

On 17th of March 2010 NOLIKO Maaseik celebrated its 50 years existance! A few weeks later NOLIKO organised the final four of the CEV Cup, were Cuneo, with former NOLIKO player Wout Wijsmans, got gold and NOLIKO Maaseik won bronse by beating the Italian Champion Piacenza with3-1! 2009-2010 was a very successful year for NOLIKO: winning the supercup, the National cup, European Bronse and Vice-Champion. In the season 2010-2011 we won the National title again, number 13 in the history of the club, after beating Euphony Asse-Lennik with 3-1 in the finales of the play-offs. For the First time in 15 years Knack Randstad was not our opponent in this final. Unfortunately we lost the final of the National cup from Roeselare. After a heroic game we lost 2-3 although we were leading with a 14-12 score in the tie-break. In the Champions League we very closely missed the Final Four! After a close 3-2 lost in the final 6 against Jastrzebski in Poland we won our home match with a clear 3-0. The golden set had to decide! We lost this set dramatically with 15-17 and saw a dream fall apart! Despite this experience we can look back at a wonderful campain with a very remarkable 3-1 win against Italian Champion Cuneo resulting in winning the poule.

It is a tremendous challenge to remain successful, we will surely try: 2011-2012 here we come!

NOLIKO Maaseik’s record:

Champion: 1991 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2008 - 2009 - 2011

Cup-winner: 1986 - 1991 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010

Supercup-winner: 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2006 - 2008 - 2009 - 2011

Champions League: 1996 (league round) - 1997 (silver) - 1998 (league round) - 1999 (silver) - 2000 (bronze) - 2002 (1/4final) - 2003 (1/4 final) - 2004 (1/4 final) - 2005 (1/4 final) - 2006 (PO12) - 2007 (PO12) - 2008 (1/8 final) - 2009 (PO12) - 2010 (1/8 final) - 2011 (PO6)

CEV-Cup: 2001 (bronze) - 2008 (silver) - 2010 (bronze) 

Maaseik is one of Limburg’s oldest towns, home to an authentic, particularly friendly town centre with one of Belgian’s most beautiful market squares. The town is located just a stone’s throw from the Dutch border, Maaseik has a fair number of top hotels, most of which are situated in the heart of the town centre, just a few hundred metres from the Lotto Dôme. Each of these hotels offers excellent service (see also our link to Hotels in Maaseik). Maaseik is not just a cosy shopping town, it is also home to a treasure trove of museums, small markets and festive events. The scenic beauty that surrounds the town is a standing invitation to healthy bicycle rides and you will be pleased to learn that the hospitality of Maaseik residents is unsurpassed. En route, you will pass the Herenlaak estate, which has gigantic water bodies used for aquatic recreational purposes. More touristic information through http://www.maaseik.be/Toeristische-brochure.html (English information brochure)

Nearby towns and cities include

Belgium

• Hasselt 45 km
• Liège 55 km
• Antwerp 120 km
• Brussels 120 km

The Netherlands

• Maastricht 37 km
• Eindhoven 55 km
• Amsterdam 180 km

Germany

• Aachen 45 km
• Düsseldorf 85 km
• Cologne 117 km

Airports

Belgium

• Brussels Zaventem National Airport: 120 km – 90’
• Liège: 60 km – 45’
• Brussels South: 140 km – 110’

The Netherlands

• Aachen-Maastricht: 35 km – 25’
• Eindhoven: 55 km – 45’
• Amsterdam: 180 km – 120’

Germany

• Mönchengladbach: 65 km – 40’
• Düsseldorf: 85 km – 60’
• Cologne-Bonn: 160 km – 100’