Scandicci dish perfect match against VakifBank to seal maiden final berth in the #CLVolleyW

For the first time in their history, Savino Del Bene Scandicci secured a spot in the final of the CEV Champions League Women, with a dominating performance in the second semi-final of the Final Four in Istanbul, clinching a win in straight sets, 3:0, against VakifBank Istanbul.

It was all or nothing for VakiBank Istanbul, the resilient Turkish side, the team with the largest number of trophies in the CEV Champions League Women, as they were looking for their 12th berth for the final in the European premium competition. But the first set against Savino Del Bene Scandicci, who were in their maiden Final Four, was one to forget for the Turkish powerhouse.

The numbers do not lie and VakifBank’s numbers did not make for easy reading in the first set. Their attacking efficiency was 36%. Marina Markova scored only two points, but her efficiency was down to 22% and her reception stuck at 13%. Nor did Kiera Van Ryk impress more, with only three points.

Errors piled up for VakifBank, which had a lively start in the match, taking the first points and seeing the score tied, 4:4. But then, Scandicci was livelier and took four of the next five points. Eight of the next 11. And VakifBank totally collapsed under the pressure, with Kara Bajema and Ekaterina Antropova combining for 10 points.

From 12:7, the score ballooneed to 18:7, as Scandicci fired from all cylinders, on the way to the first set. From the last 24 points of the set, the Italian side clinched 17, jumping to a 25:12 win in the first set, with an outstanding 53% attacking efficiency, looking unstoppable on both sides of the court.

And the second set did not start better for VakifBank. A small uptick in their fortune saw the most decorated team in history jump to a 3:1 lead, which proved that the resilient VakifBank still had something in their tank. And then, Scandicci took the next five points, as Antropova, the player with the largest average number of points per set this season in the CEV Champions League Women, took the match by storm.

Antropova scored four points in the start of the set to enable Scandicci to build a six points lead, 12:6, prompting VakifBank’s coach, Giovanni Guidetti, to take a time-out. But that did not help, as Scandicci kept their pace until the end of the set, with Antropova holding the weight, with seven points.

VakifBank’s attack dropped even lower, with a 29% efficiency in the second set, and now, after a 19:25 loss, the Turkish champions had a single chance to stay in the match, win the third set.

But once again, their start was slow. Scandicci took advantage of their opponents’ issues and opened a 6:2 lead, which morphed into an 11:7 one, with Antropova and Britt Herbots continuing to wreak havoc, as VakifBank looked uneasy in all departments.

And while VakifBank managed to stay close to Scandicci, some excellent blocks from Ana Carolina da Silva and the same excellent Antropova finishing the match as the top scorer, with 17 points, were enough to lift the Italian side to win the third set and, subsequently, the match, 25:21.

Scandicci will now fight in the final for their maiden title in the European premium competition against the other unbeaten team in the CEV Champions League Women this season, A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano, in the fifth all-Italian final in the last 25 seasons and the second consecutive one.

Between the two sides, they lost only two sets – both conceded by Conegliano – this season, and have a nine-match winning streak. VakifBank will now head to the bronze medal match, where they face Numia Vero Volley Milano for the third time this season.