17/12/2013 18:11
VakifBank completes clean sweep of their matches with another straight win
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Istanbul, Turkey, December 17, 2013. On Tuesday VakifBank ISTANBUL routed Belgian rookies GENT Dames in straight sets (25-13, 25-20, and 25-19) to complete their campaign in the prelims of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women with a record of six victories in as many matches. The winners of the past edition and 2013 world champions delighted 1,200 home fans as they dominated the game from the start up to the end.
GENT Dames was able to keep the score close up to 11 all in the opening set but after that Turkey’s giant changed gear, moved the score to 16:12 at the second technical time-out and easily cruised to the final 25-13. The guests from Belgium were able to display a solid performance also halfway through the second set but VakifBank once more showed their class to break away from 14:12 to 20:12 thereby laying the foundations for the final 25-20 and provisional 2:0. GENT was able to set the pace of the game in the early phases of the third set (2:5, 8:12) but VakifBank did not want to let it slip away, flipping the charts around by the second technical time-out (16:14) and finishing their job at 25-19. VakifBank Serbian stars Jelena Nikolic (pictured) and Jovana Brakocevic top scored in the end with 14 points apiece.
“It is always tough to play the last game of the prelims especially when you are already qualified to the next round but it was also a good opportunity for our second lines to join the game so that everyone got some playing time tonight” said VakifBank head coach Giovanni Guidetti after the game.
“Our opponents served really well and so we had problems in reception” added Carolina Costagrande. “We sometimes lose our focus and this shall not happen to a team that is the reigning world champion.”
“I am very proud of my team. There is a clear difference in the quality of these sides and this was our first year in the Champions League, so we have learned a lot” said Belgian mentor Stijn Morand.
“VakifBank did not make any mistakes tonight while we committed a lot. I hope that next year we can win some sets and hopefully even some matches if we participate again in this competition” concluded GENT Dames team captain Maud Catry.
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