Turkish powerhouses represent Europe at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship

Last season’s CEV Champions League Women finalists – VakifBank Istanbul and Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul – will be the two European sides at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship, which will take place between 13 and 17 December in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.

European sides have won 12 of the 15 editions of the competition, including the last nine in a row, both Turkish sides being the most decorated teams, with VakifBank taking four titles, while Eczacibasi won twice, in 2015 and 2016.

The six participating teams for this edition are split into two single round-robin pools of three for the pool phase, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semi-finals, before the competition sees the scheduled finals on Sunday.

So far, Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul, the runners-up in the last season’s CEV Champions League Women, have had a good start of the season, with only two losses - one in the Turkish league and one in the European premium competition, 1:3, against Italian side Scandicci.

Eczacibasi will face hosts Tianjin Bohai, who will try to become the first Chinese team in the final of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship and Brazilian side Gerdau Minas, whom they faced in the bronze medal match in 2022, winning the match, 3:1.

Last season’s CEV Champions League Women finalists – VakifBank Istanbul and Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul – will be the two European sides at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship, which will take place between 13 and 17 December in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.

European sides have won 12 of the 15 editions of the competition, including the last nine in a row, both Turkish sides being the most decorated teams, with VakifBank taking four titles, while Eczacibasi won twice, in 2015 and 2016.

The six participating teams for this edition are split into two single round-robin pools of three for the pool phase, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semi-finals, before the competition sees the scheduled finals on Sunday.

So far, Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul, the runners-up in the last season’s CEV Champions League Women, have had a good start of the season, with only two losses - one in the Turkish league and one in the European premium competition, 1:3, against Italian side Scandicci.

Eczacibasi will face hosts Tianjin Bohai, who will try to become the first Chinese team in the final of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship and Brazilian side Gerdau Minas, whom they faced in the bronze medal match in 2022, winning the match, 3:1.