Seventh in Sight: VakifBank Pushes for Another CLVolleyW Milestone

VakifBank Istanbul is once again among the final four teams in the CEV Champions League Volley Women (CLVolleyW), marking another run in the competition as they’ve helped define over the past decade. With six titles and nine finals appearances, no club has been more consistent at the top. This year, they return to the Final Four for the 13th time, hoping to reach their 10th final, every one of them under the guidance of Giovanni Guidetti.

VakifBank’s campaign began in Group C alongside Vero Volley Milano, Calcit Kamnik, and FC Porto.  VakifBank advanced through the group with solid results, beating Calcit Kamnik 3-1 and FC Porto 3-0. One of their key wins came against Vero Volley Milano, whom they defeated in straight sets after a much closer five-set match last season. They finished the group stage with 15 points, enough to move into the knockout stage without much trouble. 

In the quarterfinals, VakifBank faced domestic rivals Fenerbahçe Medicana Istanbul. The first leg ended in a rare 0-3 home defeat, but VakifBank turned things around in the return match, winning 3-1 and forcing a golden set. With the pressure on, they delivered, taking the deciding set 15-11 and securing yet another Final Four appearance. It was the third time VakifBank defeated Fenerbahçe in a golden set in Champions League history.

Key contributions have come from across the roster. Marina Markova delivered a 30-point performance in the quarterfinals. Kiera Van Ryk, VakifBank’s top scorer this season with 124 points, added 22 in that match and has appeared in all 28 sets. Zehra Güneş brought leadership and defense with 12 points and 9 blocks, while Yuan Xinyue added 11 points. With a 46% perfect reception rate, Libero Aylin Acar has the highest efficiency in the competition so far.

Cansu Özbay and Ayça Aykaç aim for their sixth Champions League final with VakifBank. With one more appearance in the final, they will tie the tournament's elite for most appearances in the final.

The semi-final against Savino Del Bene Scandicci is set for May 3 in Istanbul. Scandicci has never reached a Champions League final, while VakifBank has dominated Italian opposition under Guidetti with 20 wins in 45 meetings. This will be another chapter in the long rivalry between Guidetti and Scandicci’s Marco Gaspari, with VakifBank having won five of their six previous encounters in Europe.

As they play at home with a record on the line and momentum behind them, VakifBank should be able to win their seventh title.