Halkbank ANKARA closer to the #CEVChallengeCupM trophy
Report
The team of Halkbank Ankara made an important step towards claiming the 2022 #CEVChallengeCupM trophy, outclassing in three sets the French Narbonne Volley. However, nothing is over yet, as next week the away match will take place, and Narbonne still have their hopes high.
On Tuesday, and in front of a full house at Başkent Volleyball Hall, the players of head coach Taner Atik proved better in the deciding moments. Inspired by their fans who created a great atmosphere, Halkbank were able to come back in the third set (10-17), and show nerves of steel, becoming this part the crucial for the eventual win.
Overall, the Turkish side counted on better performance on the block (seven to five by their opponents), and aced as many as six time (while Narbonne did so three). The hosts of this home final match were able to score more on their opponents’ errors as well (25 to 21). In attacking, both Halkbank and Narbonne finished with 36 winning spikes.
The Cuban player Fernando Hernandez Ramos topped the charts for the winners (15 pts.), while for the French team, the Brazilian Rafael Rodrigues De Araujo finished with the same number of points (15).
To coach Atik’s credit, his team became the first Volleyball team from Turkey that plays the final in three different cups, and he has been part of the staff in all the three cases. Furthermore, Halkbank is the first team that reaches the final stage of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup, qualifying from the BVA Cup.
- The hosts from Halkbank ANKARA started better in the match, taking a 4-2 lead thanks to good serving by Nicolas Bruno, who made it difficult for Narbonne’s reception. While the team from Ankara kept on building a comfortable point difference, the French players were struggling with their own errors (9 in total in the first set). With as many as 3 kill blocks, and led by the set-top scorer Fernando Hernandez Ramos (5 pts.), Halkbank opened in their favour.
- Narbonne Volley came back stronger in the second set, bringing back the intrigue. However, after a point race (7-8; 14-14), and a play of a cat and mouse until the very last moment, Oğuzhan Karasu with an ace put the end of the discussion, and his team took the set-lead at 2--0.
- Narbonne were not ready to give up, taking an early lead (7-3 in their favour), and kept controlling the game until 17-10. With Hernandez on the serve, and good contribution towards the end by rising Turkish star Efe Bayram, Halkbank got a power booster to eventually turn things around and claim the victory as Narbonne suffered from their own errors as well (one on spike and two on serve).
Halkbank's setter and national team player, Aslan Eksi played for a second time in a final for an European trophy, wearing Halkbank’s jersey. If his team wins the gold, it will be his second tropjy on the European Volleyball stage.
Aslan Eksi“When I first came to Halkbank, we took the CEV Cup in that season. Today, we are in the final of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup, and we want the trophy again. We are going to France with a good score, but we will act as if the first match had not been played, and we will play with te same serious approach. We want all Turkish fans to believe that we will do everything we can to bring the trophy to Turkey, and present it to our fans. This is our team’s goal.”
Setter of Halkbank ANKARA