Vakifbank has qualified for the final of the Women’s Volleyball Champions League for the ninth time in its history.
In the rematch of the all-Turkish semi-final with Fenerbahce, Vakifbank won as a guest by 3-0 (25:22, 25:14, 25:22), which led to the “golden game” being played. In it, the volleyball players of head coach Giovanni Guidetti prevailed with 15:12 points.
The five-time champions entered the match after a 0-3 home loss and trailed by 6:12 points at the start of the first game. Led by the Italian Paola Egonu, however, the guests turned the first game and won it with 25:22. This gave them confidence and in the second game they had no resistance to take it 25:14.
The third game was more contested and with frequent changes of leadership, but at the end of it, the good blocking of Vakifbank helped the success with 25:22 points.
In the “golden game”, the game was led point for point until 12:12, but in the end, Vakifbank’s greater experience prevailed and they will play for the third year in a row in the match for the most valuable trophy in women’s club volleyball.
Paola Egonu finished with 21 points for Vakifbank, and Gabriela Guimaraes added 18 more. Melissa Vargas finished with 18 points for Fenerbahce. The Bulgarian national player Hristina Vuchkova played as a starter and ended the match with two points for Fenerbahce.
The final will be again all-Turkish, as Vakifbank will face Eczacibasi, who eliminated Novara in the semi-finals.
