SuperFinalist Isabelle Haak is scoring her way towards a first #CLVolleyW medal
VakifBank Istanbul reached the CEV Champions League Volley 2021 Super Finals after a successful campaign of nine victories across ten matches. One of the most solid performances on the Turkish side was delivered by Isabelle Haak, who has been showing a consistent scoring form since joining the Turkish powerhouse in 2019. The opposite is currently second best scorer of this season’s Champions League with 203 points, trailing behind ranking’s leader Magdalena Stysiak (Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI) by six points.
The 21-year old Swedish opposite has also been leading as the best server and blocker of her team in the competition. She scored 16 aces - 6 of which she served in second clash against VC Maritza Plovdiv - and 23 blocks across 10 matches. Her best point tally in a single game, 27 points, came in the only match VakifBank lost this year, when the Turkish side fell on home court to Unet e-work BUSTO ARSIZIO during the first semi-final game. In VakifBank’s second clash against the Italian side, which gave the Turkish team spot in the Champions League Super Finals, Haak scored 26 points and was named MVP of the match. It was the third time the Swedish opposite was named the best player of the match, previously taking the award in each of VakifBank’s encounters with ASPTT Mulhouse VB.
The high-level performance doesn’t come as a surprise for those who followed the young star for the past few seasons. Haak led as the top scorer of last year’s Champions League with 170 points, before it was ended prematurely after Quarter-final phase due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier in the season she was named Best Opposite of the 2019 FIVB Club World Championships, where VakifBank Istanbul won the bronze medal. Prior to joining VakifBank, Haak was a leader of Savino Dal Bene Scandicci, finishing Regular Season of 2017/2018 Italian League as the top scorer with 491 points.
At the age of 21, Isabelle Haak is only at the beginning of her career, has already made history in her home country Sweden. The MVP of 2018 CEV Volleyball European Silver League - Women was the youngest ever volleyball player to represent Sweden at a senior level, at age of 15. Can she become a Champions League winner, six years after making first steps in the senior level of volleyball? We will find out of the 1st of May 2021.
