T&T-born Turkish international Sinead Jack-Kisal and Eczacıbaşı Dynavit will need to come from behind in their semifinal series against rivals Vakifbank if they are to reach the Turkish Vodafone Sultan Women’s Volleyball League playoffs final.
This after Eczacıbaşı Dynavit was swept aside in straight sets, 18-25, 19-25, 20-25 in the opening match of their semifinal series at the Eczacıbaşı Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday (March 30).
For Vakifbank, Marina Markova had a match-high 22 points while former Eczacıbaşı Dynavit captain Tijana Boskovic added 16, and Zehra Gunes ten points for the winners, Vakifbank, who finished the regular-season at the top of the table with 73 points and a 25-1 record, six points more than second-placed Fenerbahçe Medicana (22-4), with Zeren Spor (21-5 with 58 points), third and Eczacıbaşı Dynavit, fourth with a 20-6 win-loss record and 58 points.
On the opposite side of the net, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit, the lone team to defeat Vakifbank during the regular season, a four-set win back on January 18 away from home, got a team-high 16 points from Ebrar Karakurt, with Magdalena Stysiak and Yaprak Erkek adding seven points each, and Jack-Kisal, five.
Game Two in the semifinal series was carded for Thursday (April 2) with Fenerbache Medicana also taking a 1-0 lead into their second match after beating Zeren Spor 25-17, 25-22, 25-19 in their semifinal curtain-raiser on Sunday.
Last Wednesday, Jack-Kisal and Eczacıbaşı Dynavit came up short in their bid for a record tenth title in the AXA Sigorta Turkey Women's Volleyball Cup final after a four-set loss to Vakifbank at the Ankara Sports Hall, Ankara.
Vakifbank prevailed 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20 in a clash of nine-time tournament winners, behind the duo of Boskovic with 26 points, and Markova with 24 while Karakurt led Eczacıbaşı Dynavit with 17 points and Jack-Kisal and Erkek chipped in with 13 points each.
In the semifinals a day earlier at the same venue, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit topped Fenerbache Medicana 25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 33-31 and Vakifbank dismissed Galatasaray 25-19, 25-20, 25-16.
Eczacıbaşı Dynavit is also through to the Confederation European Volleyball (CEV) Women’s Champions League semifinals after beating Poland’s Developres Rzeszow in their quarterfinal series last week.
This after the Turkish club won the first leg 22-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-23, but was beaten in the second leg 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 15-25, 12-15.
However, despite losing the second leg, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit still secured their place in the semifinals by virtue of sets won over the two legs to set up a meeting with Italians Savino Del Bene Scandicci, who advanced past Turkey's Fenerbahçe Medicana in their series via a 'Golden Set' win.
Scandicci won the first leg in a straight-sets win (25-23, 31-29, 25-19) but was beaten in the second leg 30-32, 25-19, 13-25, 25-27 before they advanced thanks to a 15-13 'Golden Set' win.
In the other quarterfinal, Italy’s A Carraro P Doc Conegliano fell to Turkey’s Zeren Ankara (25-21, 25-17, 19-25, 30-32, 13-15) but advanced nonetheless due to their previous straight-sets victory, 25-21, 25-18, 25-17 while Turkey’s Vakifbank, the six-time tournament champions won against Italy’s Numia Vero Volley Milano 24-26, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11 and 25-22, 16-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-12.
The CEV Champions League semifinals and final are scheduled for May 2-3 at the Ülker Sports Arena in Istanbul, Turkey.
