03/03/2020 18:20
VakifBank place one foot in women's Champions League semifinals
CEV Champions League Volley 2020 - Women
Luxembourg, March 3, 2020. VakifBank Istanbul are two sets away from a berth in the semifinals of the 2020 CEV Women's European Champions League, after a solid away 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-17) win over Dinamo Moscow in the first leg of their quarterfinal, Tuesday afternoon in the Russian capital.
The four-time European and three-time world champions need two sets next week at home in Istanbul to advance directly to the semifinals - but they are already assured of at least a 'golden set'.
VakifBank hardly had to shift to a low gear, as they cruised past Dinamo with remarkable ease.
The Turkish side were in control from start to finish, as Dinamo tried to play catch-up. And whenever the hosts attempted to close in, VakifBank were always ready to reply with multi-point runs to break away again.
It was once again Sweden's Isabelle Haak who brought in the points for VakifBank. But it was Brazil's Gabi Guimaraes who produced some solid receiving that helped set up Haak for a match high of 22 points with an attacking efficiency of 57% (20/35).
Nataliya Goncharova, on the other hand, did, as usual, get the vast majority of balls, but although she was blocked just once, only managed to get the ball on the floor 17 times in 38 swings for a mere 45%.
Haak and Goncharova were the only two players from either side to score in double digits.
The quarterfinals include one more first-leg match to be played this week, with Allianz MTV Stuttgart hosting A. Carraro Imoco Volley Conegliano on Wednesday. The other two games originally scheduled for this week, Savino Del Bene Scandicci vs Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul and Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul v Igor Gorgonzola Novara have been postoponed due to travel restrictions over coronavirus concerns.
Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) vs VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR) 0-3 (13-25, 17-25, 17-25)
Click here for further information on CEV Champions League Volley 2020.
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