Giants to battle for Final Four spots in star-studded #CLVolleyW quarterfinals
News
The quest for a spot in the highly anticipated #CLVolleyW Final Four scheduled for May 2-3 in Istanbul intensifies this week, with four incredibly competitive quarterfinal matches due to be played in Italy and Türkiye. At this stage of the competition, every single match does not only carry additional significance – but the quality and depth of each team’s roster also means that the results are highly unpredictable and it could truly go either way in each fixture. Numia Vero Volley MILANO will open the programme on Tuesday night when they host six-time winners VakifBank – with three more matches due to follow on Wednesday in Ankara, Florence, and Istanbul. Stay tuned because this is going to be a majestic display of women’s Volleyball at its very best!
Numia Vero Volley MILANO (ITA) vs. VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR)
Six-time #CLVolleyW winners VakifBank ISTANBUL, who completed a clean sweep of their Round 4 matches earlier this season, are due to play Numia Vero Volley MILANO in a repeat of last year’ bronze medal match – which ended with a 3-1 victory for Paola Egonu & Co. Earlier this season, VakifBank played another Italian club – Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI – in the pool stage, securing a double victory at home as well as in Florence. This will be the tenth such fixture between these teams with VakifBank leading the way on a record of six wins and three losses.
The clubs had locked horns in the group stage of the 2024/2025 season, with both sides winning their respective home fixture (3-0 in Istanbul, 3-1 in Milan). Moreover, these teams faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2023 edition, when VakifBank ISTANBUL won 3-0 at home and 3-2 away – and would go on to lift the trophy that season, their sixth title in the competition, an all-time record. Paola Egonu was playing for VakifBank at the time and she scored 21 and 36 points respectively in those quarterfinal fixtures.
After finishing second to Eczacibasi in Pool C, Vero Volley delivered a couple of dominant performances in their Playoff matches with Olympiacos PIRAEUS of Greece, where they did not concede a single set. Playing at home, Numia Vero Volley MILANO will be trying to cancel any memories from their two heaviest defeats in the Champions League, which all came versus VakifBank ISTANBUL: 0-3 (18-25, 19-25, 17-25) in Istanbul in the 2023 quarterfinals and 0-3 (19-25, 18-25, 17-25) in last season’s group phase. The Italians scored a club record low 54 points in both games. Similarly, VakifBank ISTANBUL’s 50 points in their 0-3 (17-25, 17-25, 16-25) home defeat versus Allianz Vero Volley MILANO in the 2023/2024 group phase on 29 November 2023 is the fewest points for them scored in any Champions League match under Giovanni Guidetti.
Giovanni Guidetti, head coach of VakifBank: “It will be a very tough game. They have world and Olympic champions on their roster; they have the MVP of the last Olympics and they are truly a great team. Playing against Paola Egonu is never easy. They also have one of the best middle-blocker duos in the world. Despite this, we believe in ourselves and know we are capable of playing good Volleyball, but we also know that it will not be easy. That is why we need to prepare very thoroughly.”
Tijana Bošković, opposite hitter of VakifBank: “We will play our first game in Milano, and we know that whether we win or lose, it does not decide anything, as we still have the second game in Istanbul. However, we want to win to gain an advantage before returning home. We know it will be a tough match; Vero Volley is a great team that deserves to be in the finals, just like us. Despite that, we believe we can win. We have worked hard over the last weeks to improve our game, and I believe we will play some good Volleyball.”
Stefano Lavarini, head coach of Numia Vero Volley: “VakifBank is undoubtedly a top-level team with great offensive potential and impressive physicality; they are solid in all areas. At this point in the season, we could not have asked for a more exciting challenge as we try to reach the Champions League Final Four. With the format of this phase, it is important to try to exploit the home-court advantage by getting the best possible result at home ahead of the decisive return leg on the difficult Turkish court. Recently, we have seen good growth in terms of effectiveness and consistency, with an excellent approach and focus on each game. Our team is ready and motivated to give its all starting from this home match, where the support of our fans will also be crucial.”
Anna Danesi, middle blocker of Numia Vero Volley: “We will face a very strong and complete team that is playing excellent Volleyball in the Turkish league, but has also had a practically perfect run in the Champions League. VakifBank can count on very strong attackers with impressive physical attributes, characteristics that we encountered this year when playing with Eczacibasi. Our work will have to start right from the serve: it will be important to put their reception under pressure in order to make the setter move, even if they are very strong on high balls and in that case our block-defence will come into play. I am happy to play the first game of the series at home because our fans make the difference: I hope it will be a sell-out crowd. Whenever there are matches of this level, we get fired up: I am confident this will be a great game.”
ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü (TUR) vs. A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO (ITA)
These teams return to lock horns after doing so earlier this season in the group stage. Back in late November, as they were making their historic debut in the competition, wildcard holders ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü put up a real fight against the defending champions A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO, losing only 18-20 in a dramatic fifth set. Isabelle Haak (29) and Gabriela Braga Guimaraes (21) were the top scoring players for the Italians in that match. Aleksandra Uzelac registered 24 for the Turkish side. Haak scored another 26 points in the Italian side’s comprehensive 3-0 away win versus ANKARA on 27 January 2026. Anna Lazareva contributed 18 points for the Turkish team.
Two-time defending champions and three-time #CLVolleyW winners A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO will rely on the good feelings and omen provided by their last two knockout rounds against Turkish teams, which ended in a resounding success for the team coached by Daniele Santarelli in the quarterfinals (against VakifBank ISTANBUL) and semis (versus Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL) of the 2023/2024 edition. The last time the Italians were eliminated by Turkish opposition was versus Fenerbahce Opet ISTANBUL in the 2022/2023 quarterfinals (0-3, 3-2).
If they were to win their match in Türkiye’s capital, CONEGLIANO would set an all-time record in the competition by securing their 29th straight victory – thereby improving on a record they currently share with VakifBank ISTANBUL. Moreover, CONEGLIANO are attempting to achieve another unprecedented feat – if they were to claim the title in early May in Istanbul, they would become the first club to top the final standings for three years in a row since the CEV Champions League Volley was established ahead of the 2000/2001 season.
Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. KS Developres RZESZÓW (POL)
This is the only quarterfinal fixture not to feature only teams from Türkiye and Italy, with Eczacibasi and Developres having progressed from Round 4 as the group winners in Pool C and E, respectively. These two clubs did previously face each other in the quarterfinals in 2023 as well, with those matches ending in a 3-1 away and 3-2 home win for the Turkish team. Tijana Bošković – who now plays for city rivals VakifBank – scored 27 and 30 points respectively for Eczacibasi in those matches. Current KS Developres RZESZÓW head coach Jelena Blagojevic (click here for more info) was a player for the Polish side in the 2023 fixtures. Blagojevic can become only the second female coach to reach the Final Four (or semis), after Lang Ping who won the trophy with Volley MODENA in 2001.
Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL have an almost perfect record (15 wins and one loss only) against Polish opposition in the Champions League. Their only setback was a 1-3 away loss against Chemik POLICE in the 2015/2016 group phase. On the other hand, KS Developres RZESZÓW have a negative record (one win and five losses) against Turkish opposition in the competition. Their only win was in their very first encounter with a Turkish club, a rather sensational 3-2 at home versus VakifBank ISTANBUL in the 2022 quarterfinals.
Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL scored 78 kill blocks in this season’s group phase, joint-most alongside Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI. Much of this tally is courtesy to Sinead Jack-Kisal who scored 25 kill blocks on her own, most of all players in Round 4. The matchup will feature an interesting duel between the respective top scorers: Ebrar Karakurt (97) for Eczacibasi and Julita Piasecka (101) for RZESZÓW.
KS Developres are chasing a piece of history, as the only Polish women’s team to have reached the Champions League Final Four (or semis) was Chemik POLICE in 2015 when they finished fourth. Actually, Chemik POLICE hosted that year’s Final Four in Szczecin and had qualified for the last stage of the competition after bypassing the Playoffs 12 and Playoffs 6 as per the rules in place at the time.
Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI (ITA) vs. Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR)
This is a highly anticipated clash featuring the reigning Club World Champions – Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI – and the Yellow Angels of Fenerbahçe, the top performing side in this year’s group stage. The only previous Champions League encounters between Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI and Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL came in the quarterfinals of the 2019 edition. As Fenerbahce Opet ISTANBUL, the Turkish team won 3-1 in Italy and 3-2 in Türkiye. Melissa Vargas scored 21 and 35 points respectively for the Turkish side in those games. Eda Erdem Dündar added 13 and 16 points. Savino Del Bene has faced Turkish teams on seventeen occasions: the overall record is slightly in favour of the team from Tuscany, which has collected nine wins and eight losses from such fixtures this far.
Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI have been eliminated in both quarterfinals they have played against Turkish opposition. Apart from their defeat versus Fenerbahce Opet ISTANBUL in 2019, the Italians also lost against Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL in 2024 (2-3, 2-3). On the other side, Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL progressed from two of their three quarterfinal rounds against Italian clubs. They beat Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI in 2019, lost to Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA in 2021, and won versus A. Carraro Imoco CONEGLIANO in 2023.
Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI reached this season’s quarterfinals after a 15-7 Golden Set victory against Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA in the Playoff round (1-3, 3-1, 15-7). The club from Tuscany can reach the Final Four (semis) for the second time, after 2025 when they won the silver medal. Ekaterina Antropova is Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI’s top scorer in this season’s Champions League on 131 points. Antropova was her club’s top scoring player in the Champions League also in 2024 (175) and 2025 (152). Linda Nwakalor has scored the second-most points from blocks (32) in this season, only one fewer than Jovana Stevanovic (33 for Olympiacos PIRAEUS).
Last season, Fenerbahçe had also won all six group games, but they were then eliminated in the quarterfinals (11-15 Golden Set loss versus VakifBank ISTANBUL). The Yellow Angels will hope to cancel memories from each of their last four Champions League campaigns, when they had to leave the competition after losing a Golden Set: three times in the semis (2022, 2023, and 2024), and in the aforementioned quarterfinals with VakifBank in 2025.
Fenerbahçe won their only title in 2012 and lost a drama-filled gold medal match with Volley BERGAMO two years earlier. As head coach of Rabita BAKU, their current mentor Marcello Abbondanza finished runner-up in the 2013 Champions League after losing 0-3 the final with VakifBank ISTANBUL. As assistant coach, Abbondanza was part of Foppapedretti BERGAMO’s staff when the club won the CEV Champions Cup in 1999 and 2000.
In the ranks of Fenerbahçe Medicana there are two players who previously played for Savino Del Bene: Bojana Milenkovic, a Serbian outside hitter born in 1997, wore the Savino Del Bene Volley jersey from June 2018 until January 2020. Agnieszka Kąkolewska, now known as Korneluk, a Polish middle blocker born in 1994, played for SCANDICCI during the 2019/2020 season.
The current setter of Fenerbahçe, Alessia Orro, was coached for four seasons by the current head coach of Savino Del Bene Marco Gaspari, who was at the helm of Vero Volley MILANO from
2020 to 2024, and during that same period Alessia Orro was his starting setter.
Marco Gaspari, head coach of Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI: “We are playing against one of the teams assembled to fight for the final victory, a team that in recent years has maintained a very strong core while adding some really important pieces, especially by bringing in a setter I know well, Alessia Orro. It is certainly a team that, when they get their serving going, makes it extremely difficult to maintain a high-level side out. Our goal is to approach this match with great organisation in the block-defence system, because the individual qualities of the Fenerbahçe players are unquestionable and we know how difficult it can sometimes be to stop them. For this reason, our defence will have to take a step forward and, at the same time, we will need to remain effective in our side-out phase, even though we will certainly face difficulties against strong servers such as Fedorovtseva, Vargas, and Orro herself. So it will be a match on two fronts. It will be important for us to bring our best serving and play aggressively, as we have always tried to do in these competitions, knowing that in the return match everything will start again from zero. However, managing to do a little bit more in the first leg this time is very important for us.”