Fenerbahce Completed The First Half On Top in Türkiye, Scandicci Lost in Five Sets in Italy

This weekend, the last rounds of the first halves were played in Türkiye and Italy, where two highly anticipated clashes also determined the top standings. Fenerbahce took advantage of the match-up between VakifBank and Eczacibasi, and finished the first phase as leaders, while Scandicci suffered a defeat against Novara in a thrilling five-setter.

Two CEV Champions League Volley contenders from Türkiye, VakifBank Istanbul, and Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul faced off in the 13th round of the Turkish Sultanlar League. Except for the third set, there was a clear dominance of the Eczacibasi side from the first ball to the last, and Turkish expert Ferhat Akbas’s squad took a four-set victory (3-1: 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 25-16).

There was a huge team game on the winning side: Even though, the Serbian star opposite player of the club, Tijana Boskovic once again became the top-scorer with 18 points (with two aces and one block), Turkish outside hitters, Yaprak Erkek (17 points, including one ace) and Hande Baladin (16 points, including four blocks and one ace) also shone with their performances. Canadian opposite Kiera Van Ryk was the only player who scored in double digits (16 points) in VakifBank.

With a clear victory from Fenerbahce over Aydin Buyuksehir Belediyspor, all three #CLVolleyW squads completed the first half of the regular season with an 11-2 winning record. Fenerbahce took first place with a total of 35 points, 2 more than Eczacibasi and 4 more than VakifBank.

The Italian #CLVolleyW participant Savino Del Bene Scandicci visited Igor Gorgonzola Novara in the 13th leg of the Italian Serie A1. Two teams had so many ups and downs throughout the match, and the game was tied to 2-2 after four sets. In the decisive tie-break, by also taking the help of their fan crowd, the Novara side left the court with a 3-2 win (24-26, 25-13, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10).

The 2003-born Russian outside hitter became the most productive player of the game with 19 points, but the MVP title went to German international Lina Alsmeier, thanks to her 16 points, but especially her effectiveness in the service line, where she found four ace points. Italian opposite Ekaterina Antropova’s 18 points were not enough for the Scandicci side to victory.

By the completion of the first half in Italy, the final standings also became clear, and as presumed, the CEV Champions League Volley teams filled the top three spots. The undefeated Conegliano took the leading rank, followed by Scandicci, and Vero Volley Milano, respectively.

Another team who completed the first half unbeaten was in Serbia: The #CLVolleyW club of the country, Tent Obrenovac met Jedintsovo in the 11th week of the Serbian Superliga. With a superior game in all three sets, Tent side clinched a straight-set victory (3-0: 25-18, 25-23, 25-22). Therefore, they also maintained their perfect record and first place in charts, with a total of 29 points and an 11-0 record.

This weekend, the most elite teams of the continent took the court to conclude the first half of the main round in the best way in their national leagues. While Fenerbahce and Tent managed to achieve what they desired, the Eczacibasi side received a significant win over VakifBank in Türkiye, and Scandicci had a defeat against Novara. We will see how will the second round bring these teams, and who will finally win the trophy at the end of the season.