16/01/2014 17:00
VakifBank adds another victory to their terrific streak
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Baku, Azerbaijan, January 16, 2014. Turkey’s giant VakifBank ISTANBUL extended their terrific winning streak by routing Azerbaijan’s Igtisadchi BAKU in the first round of the Playoffs 12 of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. The winners of the 2013 edition downed the rookies from Baku in straight sets (25-22, 25-20, and 25-20) to confirm once more their status of leading force in women’s Volleyball. Christiane Fürst top scored for VakifBank with 15 points, while Polen Uslupehlivan added another 14 to the count of the club world champions. Onuma Sittirak chipped in with 15 for Igtisadchi.
VakifBank was off to a very good start (3:6) and got a margin of three points by the first technical time-out (5:8). They gradually widened their lead (7:12) and called for the second mandatory stop by the score of 12:16. However, Igtisadchi did not give in that easily and fought back to make it 18 all. The local heroines even flipped the charts around by scoring the next two points (20:18) before VakifBank clawed back to level the score at 21. Igtisadchi head coach Bülent Karslioglu stopped the game but it did not prevent VakifBank from winning the opening set 22-25.
Igtisadchi was able to keep the score very close in the early phases of the second set (7:7) and even got to the front at the first technical time-out though only by the smallest margin. However, as the actions resumed, VakifBank changed gear and quickly made it 10:14; Igtisadchi continued to fight for every single point and could restore the balance at 15 all before losing the next rally. Once more, after the break, VakifBank imposed their pace (15:20) and in the end comfortably sailed to the final 20-25.
The situation changed a bit in the third set where Igtisadchi opened with a 5-1 run but VakifBank was quick in fighting their way back (7:7). The guests from Turkey got full control of the match by the second technical time-out (13:16, 15:20) and did not look back anymore cruising to the final 20-25 that sealed their straight victory.
“The power of VakifBank is known to everyone and on the other hand we could not show the performance we wanted” commented the head coach of Igtisadchi, Bülent Karslioglu. “We could take at least one set but unfortunately could not capitalize on this opportunity.”
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