Masterclass in blocking as Eczacibasi and Savino clash on Saturday

CEV Champions League fans can brace for a huge block party as the second semifinal of the 2026 women’s edition hits the court at the Ulker hall in Istanbul this Saturday, May 2, at 20:00 local time. The clash for the second spot in Sunday’s big final is set to offer a masterclass in what is probably volleyball’s most attractive element, as the two best blocking teams of the season so far – Türkiye’s Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul and Italy’s Savino Del Bene Scandicci – go up against one another.

Savino Del Bene Scandicci are on top of the chart for the highest number of kill blocks in all competition phases combined since the start of the competition. The Italian team has so far amassed as many as 117 blocking points in 10 matches played, more than any other participating team. They are ahead of Italy’s Numia Vero Volley Milan, who have raised 112 stuffs in 10 matches, and Greece’s Olympiacos Piraeus with 109 in 12 matches. Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul stand fourth in that table, and second among the four semifinalists, on 103, but in just eight games played in the tournament.

The Turkish team, however, tops the chart for the highest number of kill blocks per set. They have scored an average of 3.1 points per set in net defense. Savino Del Bene come second with 3.0. No other team in the women’s Champions League has been able to reach the three stuffs per set mark so far this season.

Individually, Savino Del Bene’s 23-year-old middle blocker Linda Nwakalor has scored the most blocking points since the start of the season. She has accumulated as many as 35 stuffs in eight matches played. With a set average of 1.21 kill blocks, Nwakalor also tops that chart among all players who have played in at least three matches during the season.

Eczacibasi Dynavit’s 32-year-old middle Sinead Jack-Kısal comes second with a set average of 1.07. She has scored a total 32 kill blocks over the eight games, which puts her in third place, just below second-placed Jovana Stevanovic of Olympiacos with 33 stuffs, but in as many as 11 matches played. Jack-Kisal was also the most prolific blocker of the pool stage with a total of 25 blocking points. Nwakalor was the third best with 23, with VakifBank Istanbul’s Zehra Gunes in between, in second place, with 24.

Of course, Nwakalor and Jack-Kisal were not the only contributors to the blocking masters’ top-caliber performances in net defense. 25-year-old German middle Camilla Weitzel has put up a total of 23 kill blocks for the team from Scandicci so far, while 23-year-old opposite Ekaterina Antropova added another 13. Interestingly, Antropova was number one in the pool stage of the competition in terms of block efficiency, a ranking that also takes into account the mistakes made during blocking. 27-year-old American outside hitter Avery Skinner has also reached the double digits in net defense with 10 kill blocks under her belt.

Another 27-year-old American, middle blocker Dana Rettke, is Eczacibasi’s most prolific blocker with 17 stuffs to her name so far. 26-year-old outside Ebrar Karakurt has 15 kill blocks, while 25-year-old Polish opposite Magdalena Stysiak has raised 10.