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Ethnikos Alexandroupolis
Εθνικός Αλεξανδρούπολης

Full name	Mousikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Ethnikos Alexandroupolis (Music and Gymnastics Club Ethnikos Alexandroupolis)
Founded	1927
Ground	Alexandroupoli Municipal Gym (Capacity: 1,000)
Manager	Thanassis Moustakidis
League	A1 Division CEV Challenge Cup
2018-19	9th
Uniforms
Home Away

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 (42 participations) 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' (capacity: 1000 seats).

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 (A1 Ethniki). It is the first provincial (except Thessaloniki and Athens) volleyball club in appearances in the Greek Volleyball Championship and one of the most successful in Greek Volleyball in terms of dynamics (8 times in the first 4 teams of the championship), discrimination and many players who have emerged from the club making a huge career in Greek and world Volleyball (e.g. Giourdas, Koumentakis, Andreadis, Baev). 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 (4th in the seasons 1974–1975, 1975–1976, 1976–1977, 3rd in 1977–1978). 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 (professional team, first in Turkey), 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 (1982–83) 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 (1983–84) versus the powerful team Panini Modena of Italy (Italian champion for many years, later with a different name) 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 (1984–85) in the Balkan Volleyball Cup that held in Constantinople. Ethnikos ranked fourth, with participation of teams from all (then) 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 (3–1, 3–0). He continued in the 2013–14 CEV Challenge Cup of the same season, playing totally 6 European games that year, winning two (3–1, 2–3), even qualifying against the Belarusian Kommunalnik Grodno. Ethnikos was eliminated by Belgian Euphony Asse-Lennik in the phase of 16 in the golden set (3–0, 3–1, 15–12).

The most successful season of the club was in 2013–14 during it won the unofficial title of winter champions (first in Greek league standings until December) and then Alexandroupoli's team played in the playoff 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 (3–0, 2–3). 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 (2015–16), 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 (3–1, 2–3). 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 (413 appearances) 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

• Greek Volleyball Championship
  • Finalist (1): 2014
• Greek Volleyball Cup
  • Finalist (1): 1981
• Greek Volleyball League Cup
  • Finalist (2): 2015, 2018

Academy's Honours

• 6 Greek U21 Volleyball Championships (1976, 1987, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2023)
• 2 Greek U18 Volleyball Championships (2008, 2011)
• 3 Greek U16 Volleyball Championships (2007, 2008, 2009)

European

• CEV Challenge Cup
  • Quarter-finals (2): 2014–15, 2015–16

Current squad

2016–2017 roster

Shirt No	Player	Height	Position
1	Dimitris Mouchlias	1.96	Opposite
2	Giannis Kavaratzis	1.95	Opposite
3	Kostas Vlachopoulos	1.93	Setter
4	Juarez Gomes Leal Junior	1.96	Outside hitter
5	Dimitris Chatzopoulos	2.01	Middle blocker
6	Daniel Vanegas	1.95	Outside hitter
7	Sokratis Charalampidis	1.98	Outside hitter
8	Giannis Charitonidis	1.85	Setter
10	Dimitris Miros	1.83	Libero
11	Achilleas Andravizos	1.94	Outside hitter
12	Kassandros Stiggas	2.00	Middle blocker
13	Nikolaos Palentzas	1.98	Opposite
14	Paraskevas Tselios	2.07	Middle blocker
15	Achilleas Konstantinidis	1.87	Outside hitter
16	Vasilis Stoiloudis	2.00	Middle blocker
17	Marios Papazoglou	1.87	Setter
20	Grigoris Kontostathis	1.90	Libero

Technical and managerial staff

Job	Name
Head Coach	Thanassis Moustakidis

Notable players

• Thanassis Moustakidis
• Nikos Samaras
• Theodoros Baev
• Andrej Kravárik
• Marios Giourdas
• Andreas Andreadis
• Rafail Koumentakis
• Anestis Dalakouras
• Paraskevas Tselios

Sponsorships

• Great Sponsor: Joker
• Official Sponsors: Vodafone, Green Oil EMO, Casino Thraki

See also

• Alexandroupoli
• Ethnikos Alexandroupoli F.C.

References

1. "Μ.Γ.Σ. Εθνικός Αλεξ/πολης". volleyleague.g. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
2. "Πρωταθλητής χειμώνα ο Εθνικός Αλεξανδρούπολης 3-2 τον Ολυμπιακό". volleyleague.gr. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
3. "Έγραψε ιστορία ο Εθνικός Αλεξανδρούπολης που προκρίθηκε στον τελικό!". volleyball.gr. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.

External links

• Ethnikos Alexandroupolis Official site (in Greek)
• The modern sport history of Alexandroupoli-Anestis Giannakopoulos Archived 2017-11-26 at the Wayback Machine (in Greek)

• Alexandroupolis
• Evros (regional unit)
• Volleyball clubs in Greece
• Western Thrace