Volleyball
‘Yellow Tiger’ Frauke Dirickx announces retirement
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Article Fri, Aug 5 2016
Brussels, Belgium, August 5, 2016. After hesitating for a while since she has been receiving many offers from clubs all over Europe to join their ranks for the 2016-2017 season, Belgium star setter Frauke Dirickx eventually announced her retirement from competitive sport at the age of 36 to focus on what she calls ‘a normal life’.
Together with Virginie De Carne, who has also retired from the sport, Dirickx has been one of the star players for the ‘Yellow Tigers’ and did so for more than 15 years, totalling more than 250 caps with the national team. One of the major highlights in her career came in 2013 when she won a historic bronze medal at the CEV Volleyball European Championship in Berlin.
Acknowledged as one of Europe’s best setters, Dirickx was left disappointed this past January when the ‘Yellow Tigers’ failed to crown their Olympic dream and qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics – one of Dirickx’s ultimate dreams.
She nevertheless had a great career anyway, winning – inter alia – the 2007 edition of the Top Teams Cup with Spain’s CAV MURCIA 2005 and playing in the finals of the elite CEV Volleyball Champions League as well – she did so in 2010 when Fenerbahce Acibadem lost to Italy’s Volley BERGAMO.
Dirickx started her career in Belgium playing for Datovoc TONGEREN and VC HERENTHALS before moving abroad and playing in countries as diverse as Italy, Spain, Poland and Turkey. Back in 2010 she won Turkey’s national league with Fenerbahce Acibadem ISTANBUL and her resume includes also national championship titles she won in Romania and Spain with Metal GALATI and CAV MURCIA 2005, respectively. She also claimed Turkey’s and Spain’s national cup with the same teams. Dirickx played for a number of teams in Italy, her ‘adoptive country’ (Minetti VICENZA, PV REGGIO EMILIA, NSGP SASSUOLO, Futura BUSTO ARSIZIO, Spes CONEGLIANO, Rebecchi Nordmeccanica PIACENZA) and in Poland – wearing the shirt of Impel WROCLAW and MKS DABROWA GORNICZA. She spent her last competitive season in Turkey finishing the national league in fifth place while playing for BURSA BBSK and reaching the semis of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
With Dirickx retiring from the sport, the ‘Yellow Tigers’ lose one of their pillars. Dirickx was considered by many Volleyball coaches as one of Europe’s top five setters.
The Volleyball family wishes Frauke much success and happiness also in her ‘second life’.
Together with Virginie De Carne, who has also retired from the sport, Dirickx has been one of the star players for the ‘Yellow Tigers’ and did so for more than 15 years, totalling more than 250 caps with the national team. One of the major highlights in her career came in 2013 when she won a historic bronze medal at the CEV Volleyball European Championship in Berlin.
Acknowledged as one of Europe’s best setters, Dirickx was left disappointed this past January when the ‘Yellow Tigers’ failed to crown their Olympic dream and qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics – one of Dirickx’s ultimate dreams.
She nevertheless had a great career anyway, winning – inter alia – the 2007 edition of the Top Teams Cup with Spain’s CAV MURCIA 2005 and playing in the finals of the elite CEV Volleyball Champions League as well – she did so in 2010 when Fenerbahce Acibadem lost to Italy’s Volley BERGAMO.
Dirickx started her career in Belgium playing for Datovoc TONGEREN and VC HERENTHALS before moving abroad and playing in countries as diverse as Italy, Spain, Poland and Turkey. Back in 2010 she won Turkey’s national league with Fenerbahce Acibadem ISTANBUL and her resume includes also national championship titles she won in Romania and Spain with Metal GALATI and CAV MURCIA 2005, respectively. She also claimed Turkey’s and Spain’s national cup with the same teams. Dirickx played for a number of teams in Italy, her ‘adoptive country’ (Minetti VICENZA, PV REGGIO EMILIA, NSGP SASSUOLO, Futura BUSTO ARSIZIO, Spes CONEGLIANO, Rebecchi Nordmeccanica PIACENZA) and in Poland – wearing the shirt of Impel WROCLAW and MKS DABROWA GORNICZA. She spent her last competitive season in Turkey finishing the national league in fifth place while playing for BURSA BBSK and reaching the semis of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
With Dirickx retiring from the sport, the ‘Yellow Tigers’ lose one of their pillars. Dirickx was considered by many Volleyball coaches as one of Europe’s top five setters.
The Volleyball family wishes Frauke much success and happiness also in her ‘second life’.