Guidetti to work with 35 players on the road to Tokyo 2020

Giovanni Guidetti has released a long list of 35 players – including those due to represent Turkey in the 2021 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League, which starts next month within a secure ‘bubble’ in the Italian resort of Rimini.

The Turkish Volleyball Federation published the following list this past Saturday:

1^st Group

Setters: Naz Aydemir Akyol, Cansu Özbay, Buse Ünal

Opposites: Meryem Boz, Ebrar Karakurt, Tutku Burcu Yüzgenç

Middle Blockers: Eda Erdem Dündar, Zehra Güneş, Kübra Akman, Aslı Kalaç, Yasemin Güveli

Outside Hitters: Hande Baladın, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Şeyma Ercan, Fatma Yıldırım, Tuğba Şenoğlu, Saliha Şahin

Liberos: Simge Aköz, Ayça Aykaç

2^nd Group

Setters: Elif Şahin, Buket Gülübay

Opposites: Yağmur Karaoğlu, Pelin Eroktay

Middle Blockers: Ayçin Akyol, Yasemin Yıldırım, Büşra Şahin, Beliz Başkır

Outside Hitters: İlkin Aydın, Derya Cebecioğlu, İpar Kurt, Ezgi Akyaldız, Yaprak Erkek

Liberos: Dilek Kınık, Gülce Güçtekin, Eylül Akarçeşme

“A very busy summer and national team season await us. We will compete in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Tokyo Olympic Games and CEV EuroVolley. Team Turkey will prepare and work in two groups. Our players in the first group will prepare and play in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League. We already know these players from the Tokyo 2020 qualifier for their contribution to the national team squad and their development. There will also be players in the first group, who performed successfully in the Turkish league and we think can contribute to the national team,” Guidetti says.

“There are 16 players who performed well during the Turkish league season, with no chance of being in the national team so far, featuring in the second group. They will learn and get to know our working system through the upcoming camp. Our second group will continue their work in Istanbul and they will have the chance to join the national team for the upcoming tournaments,” he continues.

“Each tournament has a different goal. Our goal is to prepare as good as we can for the Olympic Games, choosing the best players to be with us in Tokyo and creating our final squad in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League. We will play to win every match in the VNL, but our main goal will be to give a chance to all players in our squad and to compose the group for Tokyo. We are in a very tough pool at the Olympic Games. Our first goal is to make it through the pool stage. I think anything is possible if we manage to do so. That means you are in the quarterfinals and you are only one game away from fighting for a medal,” Guidetti adds.

“We did a good job in the last two editions of EuroVolley and we already have one bronze and one silver medal in the record books. We will try to keep the same level in 2021 too,” he concludes.