2026 quarterfinals: Riga Zelli to face the champions on Easter Sunday

marisnoviks
Apr 5
3 min read

Updated: Apr 6

The 2026 ENBL quarterfinals continue on Easter Sunday, April 5. Riga Zelli will host the 2025 champions CSO Voluntari.

Riga Zelli vs CSO Voluntari

Playoff experience: CSO Voluntari are seeking their third straight Final Four appearance, this time with a head coach Dan Ioan at the steering wheel.

Ainars Bagatskis and CSO Voluntari reached the 2024 Final Four in their debut season and advanced to final where they fall at the hands of the hosts – the Danish champions Bakken Bears Aarhus.

A year later CSO Voluntari returned to the Final Four, ended a 10-0 streak by Slovan Bratislava – then Inter Bratislava, and triumphed in the final over Marc Steutel and the Newcastle Eagles.

Riga Zelli finished their first regular season with a 5-3 record to earn the eleventh seed.

Dāvis Čoders and his men traveled to Iceland to defeat the sixth seeded Tindastoll, 101-94.

Series history: Riga Zelli (5-3) will face CSO Voluntari (8-1) for the first time.

CSO Voluntari advanced to the quarterfinals with a 99-74 home win over 14^th seeded Slovan Bratislava on March 10.

Riga Zelli are 2-2 on the home floor, while playing at three different locations – at Komandu Sporta spēļu halle against Iraklis BC, at Saldus against BK Olomoucko and at Daugava Sports hall against Newcastle Eagles and Spartak Pleven.

CSO Voluntari are 3-1 on the road after wins at the Fyllingen Lions, HEFTE HELFEN BULLS and TalTech/ALEXELA.

Their single loss came at the hands of the 2026 Latvian Cup winners and the 2026 Estonia and Latvia league first time finalists Valmiera Glass ViA.

National championships: the 2025 Estonia and Latvia league finalists Riga Zelli posted a 20-6 record this year to earn the fifth seed.

They won the first game of the quarterfinals at Kalev/Cramo but lost the best-of-three series, after a 100-102 road loss on March 25.

Riga Zelli finished third between Latvian teams – behind VEF Rīga and Valmiera Glass ViA – and will start the best-of-five quarterfinal series against Liepāja on April 11.

CSO Voluntari are 18-7 at the Liga Nationala, in the third place after Oradea and Dinamo Bucharest.

CSO Voluntari defeated Craiova, 101-90, on March 29, and then lost at Timisoara, 55-89, on April 2.

The visitors shot 36.7 percent inside the arc and 19.2 percent from the three point line.

Know your referees

Crew chief: Jakub Kremser (Czechia) – has been officiating from 2015, MAXA NBL referee from 2023, upcoming FIBA referee.

Umpire 1: Mareks Voļskis (Latvia) – Latvia Basketball league referee from 2006, ENBL referee from 2022.

Umpire 2: Andras Mate Stretea (Romania) – referee from 2012, Liga Nationala referee from 2016, FIBA referee from 2023.

Observer (at the video): Oskars Lucis (Latvia).

ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlMvsm-rESA

Live stats https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/ENBL/2833645/

2026 quarterfinals | local time | CET