10/02/2016 21:45
VakifBank claim first round of star-studded Turkish derby with Eczacibasi VitrA
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Istanbul, Turkey, February 10, 2016. VakifBank ISTANBUL claimed an important victory in the first leg of the Playoffs 12 of this year’s CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women by means of their 27-25, 18-25, 10-25, 25-14, 15-10 win over arch-rivals Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL. The re-match between these heavyweights will be played on February 24 at Burhan Felek Volleyball Hall. The winners of this double header will play the side coming out on top from the fixture starring Lokomotiv BAKU of Azerbaijan and Switzerland’s Volero ZÜRICH for a spot in the Final Four scheduled for April 9-10 in Montichiari, Italy and hosted by rookies Pomì CASALMAGGIORE.
The big match started with the away team’s serve and Eczacibasi were able to win the first rally. Eczacibasi VitrA’s Cuban-born star Rosir Calderon Diaz’s attacks were a real delight for the fans in attendance and paved the way for an 8-4 lead for the home team at the first technical time-out. After Eczacibasi VitrA’s captain Neslihan Demir Güler’s point, the home team called for the second technical time-out leading by 16-15. At 23-22 the mentor of VakifBank Giovanni Guidetti (pictured) asked for their first break. Eventually, Anne Buijs finished the opening set 27-25 VakifBank’s way.
At the beginning of the second set, the two teams made some mistakes from the service line. However, the attacks killed by the spikers of VakifBank paved the way for an 8-7 lead for the 2011 and 2013 CL gold medal winners. After a positive series for the ‘visitors’, Eczacibasi VitrA’s mentor Giovanni Caprara stopped the game at 10-7 for VakifBank. Before the second technical time-out the hosts finished some spectacular attacks and the score eventually stood at 16-14 in their favour. At the end of the second set, VakifBank’s spikers tried to flip the charts around, however it was Eczacibasi VitrA who eventually had the upper hand at 25-18.
Eczacibasi VitrA started the third set with five spectacular points to claim an early 5-0 lead. At this stage it was VakifBank’s mentor Giovanni Guidetti to ask for a time-out. However, Eczacibasi VitrA further cemented their leadership at the first technical time-out (8-2) before the hosts widened their lead even more up to eleven points (16-5) at the second technical break. The players of Eczacibasi VitrA killed some amazing attacks and sealed a massive 25-10 set win in the end.
By the score of 4-1 for VakifBank in the fourth set, Giovanni Caprara stopped the game. Eczacibasi VitrA tried to close the gap but still trailed by three points at the first technical time-out. VakifBank’s captain Gözde Kirdar scored time and again to call for the second technical time-out with her team leading 16-10. Even middle-blocker Maja Poljak’s efforts did not help the hosts and VakifBank finished the fourth set comfortably (25-14) to call for the tie-break.
Both teams recorded one point at the beginning of tie-break (1-1). After a rally finished by Dutch middle blocker Robin de Kruijf the teams switched side of the court with VakifBank leading by 8-5. After a close final rush, VakifBank claimed the last set by 15-10 and with it also the first round of this much anticipated and star-studded Turkish derby.
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