Maribor
Full nameOdbojkarski klub Maribor
Founded14 June 1945 (14 June 1945)[1]
GroundTabor Hall
Maribor, Slovenia
(Capacity: 3,261)
ChairmanMiha Kravanja
ManagerSebastijan Škorc
CaptainŽiga Donik
LeagueSlovenian Volleyball League
2022−23Regular season: 3rd
Playoffs: Third place
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away
Championships
1992, 1993, 2021

Odbojkarski klub Maribor (English: Maribor Volleyball Club) or simply OK Maribor 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 national championship three times (1992, 1993 and 2021) and the Slovenian national cup four times (1992, 1994, 1995 and 2006).

History

Immediately after the Second World War, on 14 June 1945, the men's volleyball section of the Železničar Sports Association was established.[1] They played in the inaugural edition of the Slovenian national championship in 1946 and finished in fourth place.[1] In 1947, the club was renamed as Odbojkarski klub Železničar (English: Železničar Volleyball Club).[1] In 1951, the team was relegated from the Slovenian championship.[1]

In 1976, Železničar merged with its city rival Branik and became Odbojkarski klub Maribor (English: Maribor Volleyball Club).[1] In 1980, Maribor won the Yugoslav second division and qualified for the highest level of Yugoslav volleyball, the Yugoslav Volleyball Championship.[2] The club was relegated during its first top division season, but the following year they won the second division and were thus immediately promoted back.[2] They were also the runners-up of the Yugoslav Cup in 1983.[1] Maribor remained in the top division until 1989, when the Yugoslav League was reorganized and reduced to eight teams.[2] Maribor again immediately returned to the top tier after winning the A2 division in 1990, but the following year the club again dropped out of the Yugoslav top tier. This was also the last season before the breakup of Yugoslavia.[2]

In 1991, Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, and the Volleyball Federation of Slovenia established its own league system. OK Maribor won the first two editions of the newly established Slovenian Volleyball League, becoming back-to-back national champions in 1992 and 1993.[3] As Slovenian champions, the team competed in the 1992–93 edition of the CEV European Champions Cup, where they were eliminated in the first round by the Swiss team Lausanne UC.[4] During the 1990s, Maribor also won the national cup three times and was the league runner-up on several occasions.[5] In January 2006, Maribor, competing under the sponsorship name Prevent Gradnje IGM, won its fourth national cup title by defeating Salonit Anhovo in the final, the first major trophy won by the club in eleven years.[6]

Between 2009 and 2019, the club went through a period of stagnation, never finishing higher than fourth in the league. In 2009–10, Maribor even finished in the last, 12th place.[7] In December 2019, the club signed a sponsorship deal with Merkur and changed its name to Merkur Maribor.[8] In 2021, Maribor won their third national championship after defeating ACH Volley 3–2 in the final, preventing them from winning their 17th consecutive title.[9]

Name changes

Throughout its history, OK Maribor has been named after their main sponsor on numerous occasions:

  • Stavbar/MTT Maribor (until 1989)
  • Tehno Mobil (1989–1990)
  • Vileda Maribor (1990–1994)
  • Bella Viola Maribor (1994–1995)[10]
  • Marles Maribor (1995–1996)
  • Gradis Maribor (1997–1998)
  • Stavbar IGM Maribor (1998–2004)
  • Prevent Gradnje IGM (2004–2007)
  • MTB Maribor (2008–2010)
  • Lunos Maribor (2013–2015)
  • Merkur Maribor (2019–2023)

Season-by-season records

Season League Position Domestic cup Europe
1991–92 1. DOL Champions Winners
1992–93 1. DOL Champions Runners-up CEV European Champions CupPR
1993–94 1. DOL Runners-up Winners CEV European Champions CupR16
1994–95 1. DOL 3rd Winners CEV Cup Winners' CupQF
1995–96 1. DOL Runners-up Runners-up CEV Cup Winners' CupGS
1996–97 1. DOL Runners-up Runners-up CEV Cup Winners' CupGS
1997–98 1. DOL 3rd Semi-final CEV Cup Winners' CupGS
1998–99 1. DOL Runners-up Semi-final CEV CupMP
1999–00 1. DOL 5th Runners-up CEV CupMP
2000–01 1. DOL 6th Quarter-final
2001–02 1. DOL 3rd Quarter-final CEV CupMP
2002–03 1. DOL Runners-up Semi-final CEV CupMP
2003–04 1. DOL 5th Semi-final CEV CupMP
2004–05 1. DOL 5th Round of 16
2005–06 1. DOL Runners-up Winners
2006–07 1. DOL Runners-up Quarter-final CEV CupR16
CEV Top Teams CupPR
2007–08 1. DOL 3rd Quarter-final CEV Challenge CupR3
CEV CupR32
2008–09 1. DOL 6th Quarter-final CEV Challenge CupR2
2009–10 1. DOL 12th Round of 16
2010–11 1. DOL 10th Fourth round
2011–12 1. DOL 8th Round of 16
2012–13 1. DOL 5th Semi-final
2013–14 1. DOL 5th Semi-final
2014–15 1. DOL 7th Round of 16
2015–16 1. DOL 5th Quarter-final
2016–17 1. DOL 5th Round of 16
2017–18 1. DOL 5th Quarter-final
2018–19 1. DOL 4th Quarter-final
2019–20 1. DOL 3rd Runners-up
2020–21 1. DOL Champions Quarter-final
2021–22 1. DOL 3rd Runners-up CEV Champions LeagueGS
2022–23 1. DOL 3rd Semi-final CEV Challenge CupQ32

Players

2022−23 team

NumberNameBirthdateHeight (cm)Position
2Slovenia Jaka Jevšnik21 June 2001187Libero
3Slovenia Timotej Vodušek19 November 2004195Middle blocker
4Slovenia Gregor Pernuš16 July 1999198Setter
5Slovenia Sani Adžović3 November 2002198Opposite
6Canada Connor McConnell24 August 1998201Opposite
8Slovenia Rok Bračko21 April 2004195Wing spiker
9Slovenia Žiga Kumer9 September 1999184Libero
10Slovenia Janž Janez Kržič26 June 2003205Middle blocker
11Slovenia Žiga Donik21 September 1995192Wing spiker
12Slovenia Filip Leva20 July 2001194Middle blocker
13Slovenia Miha Fink20 September 2003200Middle blocker
14Slovenia Nejc Najdič5 May 2006196Setter
16Slovenia Jaka Iršič3 June 2004192Wing spiker
21Slovenia Maj Toplišek27 May 2005190Wing spiker
42Montenegro Nemanja Peruničić9 February 2001200Wing spiker
Head coach: Sebastijan Škorc
Assistant coach: Alen Kranjc

Source: Volleyball Federation of Slovenia

Honours

  • Slovenian Volleyball League
    • Winners (3): 1991–92, 1992–93, 2020–21
    • Runners-up (7): 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07
  • Slovenian Cup
    • Winners (4): 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2005–06
    • Runners-up (6): 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2019–20, 2021–22

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Železničarsko športno društvo Maribor (2007). "Železničarsko športno društvo Maribor 1927 – 2007" (PDF). navdih.net (in Slovenian). p. 168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Studia Historica Slovenica (2003). "Maribor skozi čas II". issuu.com (in Slovenian). Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  3. "Dosedanji državni odbojkarski prvaki". odbojka.si (in Slovenian). Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  4. "LAUSANNE UC 3–1 Vileda MARIBOR". cev.eu. European Volleyball Confederation. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. "Dosedanji zmagovalci Pokala Slovenije". odbojka.si (in Slovenian). Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  6. "Mariborčani po 11 letih spet pokalni prvaki". sta.si (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 22 January 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. "1. DOL Radenska Classic 2009/2010 – Končni vrstni red". odbojka.si (in Slovenian). Volleyball Federation of Slovenia. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. Š. L. (16 December 2019). "Mariborčani odslej z novim generalnim sponzorjem in imenom" (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  9. "Konec 16-letne prevlade ACH-ja, Maribor je tretjič državni prvak" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 25 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  10. "Mariborski odbojkarji dobili pokrovitelja". sta.si (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 28 November 1994. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
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