Historic bronze for Ziraat after dramatic five-set #CLVolleyM clash

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara prevailed in a dramatic five-set bronze-medal match to claim the club’s first-ever #CLVolleyM medal. The Turkish champions came back from 1-2 down and, led by an unstoppable Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who scored an incredible 36 points, emerged victorious against PGE Projekt Warszawa. The triumph also marked a historic moment for Mustafa Kavaz, who became the first Turkish head coach to win a medal in the Men’s Champions League. 

Bronze medal match: PGE Projekt WARSZAWA (POL) vs Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA (TUR) 2-3 (25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 23-25, 11-15)

For both PGE Projekt Warszawa and Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 Men’s Final Four in Turin marked their first-ever appearance among Europe’s top four clubs. After suffering painful semifinal defeats, both sides still had plenty to fight for - a historic medal for their respective clubs. The two teams had previously met in the 2021/22 #CLVolleyM group stage, with Ankara winning both encounters, but the clash in Turin told a completely different story. The match also carried historical significance on the sidelines. At just 30 years old, Kamil Nalepka became the youngest head coach ever to lead a team in a Champions League medal match, while Mustafa Kavaz had the opportunity to become the first Turkish coach to win a #CLVolleyM medal.

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara made the stronger start to the match, taking an early 2-0 lead with Murat Yenipazar at the service line. PGE Projekt Warszawa, however, responded quickly with Bartosz Gomułka once again showing his attacking quality. On the other side of the net, it was no surprise to see Nimir Abdel-Aziz leading Ankara’s offence (6 points in the opening set). Warszawa, though, worked well blocking and gradually moved ahead before Ankara levelled the score again at 11-11. Following a kill block from Jakub Kochanowski (4 points) and an ace from Kevin Tillie (5 points) Warszawa gained momentum at 17-15. The Polish side continued to build their advantage to 23-19 before sealing the opener 25-20 with an ace from Gomułka, who finished the set with 7 points.

Two kill blocks helped Ziraat Bankkart Ankara move ahead 3-0 at the beginning of the next set, but PGE Projekt Warszawa responded immediately by winning four consecutive rallies. From that point on, the teams stayed neck and neck in a point-by-point battle that continued until 12-12. Blocking proved to be a decisive factor throughout the set, with both sides recording five blocks each. Ankara then found momentum with Tomasz Fornal at the service line - including an ace (4 points in the set) - and Trevor Clevenot contributing strongly in attack (4 kills - 67%), helping the Turkish champions open up a 15-12 lead. Although Ankara maintained their advantage at 18-15, Warszawa continued to apply pressure and reduced the gap to 20-19. A winning serve from Fornal gave Ankara some breathing room at 22-19, and powerful attacks from Nimir Abdel-Aziz eventually secured the set 25-23 for the Turkish side. Abdel-Aziz was dominant in the second set, scoring 10 points (3 blocks and 7 kills).

Warszawa quickly put the disappointment of the previous set behind them, racing to an early 4-1 lead. Yurii Semeniuk made a huge impact at the net with a series of impressive blocks, scoring 3 points in that element alone, as the Polish side extended their advantage to 9-2. From that moment on, Warszawa completely dominated the set, pulling away to 16-6 and later 21-11. Kevin Tillie led the attack with 5 kills at an outstanding 83% efficiency, while Bartosz Firszt and Jakub Kochanowski each added 4 points. An ace from Kochanowski eventually sealed an emphatic 25-13 set victory for Warszawa.

A tight point-by-point battle marked the start of the fourth set. Ankara raised their level in an effort to keep their medal hopes alive, but Warszawa matched their determination throughout the set. The Turkish side moved ahead 10-7 thanks to strong attacks from Nimir Abdel-Aziz and Tomasz Fornal, but Warszawa quickly reduced the gap to 10-9 and stayed within reach. Even after an ace from Abdel-Aziz gave Ankara a 15-12 advantage, the Polish side continued to fight back, cutting the deficit to 18-17 behind excellent performances from Bartosz Gomułka and Kevin Tillie (each 6 points in the set). A combined block from Tillie and Kochanowski eventually levelled the score at 21-21, setting up a dramatic finish. In the decisive moments, however, Abdel-Aziz once again proved the difference-maker. The Dutch opposite scored 11 points in the set at 71% attacking efficiency, while an attack from Fornal sealed the set 25-23 and forced a tie-break.

The tie-break turned into the expected battle of nerves. Ankara struck first, taking a 5-3 lead after an attack from Nimir Abdel-Aziz, before Tomasz Fornal extended the advantage to 7-4. Warszawa responded through powerful attacks from Kevin Tillie to reduce the deficit to 8-7, but Ankara reacted immediately — mainly thanks once again to Abdel-Aziz, who scored six points in the deciding set. An ace from Fornal and a block from Trevor Clevenot pushed Ankara further ahead at 13-8, and the Turkish side soon sealed the set 15-11 to secure the bronze medal.

In their successful quest for a historic first-ever #CLVolleyM medal, Ziraat Bankkart Ankara were led by an outstanding performance from Nimir Abdel-Aziz, who hammered an incredible 36 points. His tally included 5 blocks, 1 ace and 30 kills at an impressive 60% attacking efficiency. He was supported by Tomasz Fornal with 14 points and Trevor Clevenot, who added 13.
For PGE Projekt Warszawa, Kevin Tillie finished with 26 points, while Bartosz Gomułka contributed 23.