Eczacibasi claim ‘Clash of the Titans’ to clinch Spor Toto Champions Cup title | 2019/10/10
Izmir, Turkey, October 10, 2019. The 2019-2020 domestic season started on Wednesday in Turkey with the Spor Toto Champions Cup, where Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL secured a 3-2 victory (25-14, 25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 15-11) over their city rivals VakifBank. As many as 4,600 fans witnessed this showdown featuring two Volleyball powerhouses held at Atatürk - Vestel Venus Sports Complex in Izmir. Despite the very short time the players have had together after coming back from their respective national teams, Eczacibasi delivered a superb performance to edge VakifBank in a true ‘Clash of the Titans’. The victory accounts for Eczacibasi’s fourth triumph in the competition – previously known as Champions Cup.
Before the start of the match, Eczacibasi and VakifBank joined a special action, holding a poster designed for the World Cerebral Palsy Day held internationally on October 6.
The Tigers of Eczacibasi came out strong in the first set, standing out especially with their great block and defence game. Playing her first official game with the orange and white jersey, Brazilian superstar Natalia Pereira did a great job in the first set scoring six points of her own.
With setter Gamze Kılıç fuelling the spikers through her clever sets and team captain Kim Yeon-Koung carrying her team with four block points, Eczacibasi doubled their lead in the match (25-21).
Despite the contribution of the younger members of the roster such as Yasemin Güveli and Hande Baladin, who came in later, VakifBank emerged victorious from a thrilling third set (27-25). In the fourth, Tijana Boskovic’s powerful attacks were not enough to finish the match and the fans were able to enjoy a fifth set.
Eczacibasi got back on track for the tiebreak, pushing more with their serves. Once again, Tijana Boskovic took centre stage. With experienced middle-blocker Ergül Eroğlu’s consecutive serves fuelling the team after the side switch, Eczacibasi VitrA managed to win in five sets and eventually clinched the Spor Toto Champions Cup title for the second straight year.
Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ and Spor Toto President Bünyamin Bozgeyik presented the Champions Cup trophy to Eczacibasi’s captain Kim Yeon-Koung. Tijana Boskovic received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, to go with the same distinction she claimed at EuroVolley only a few weeks ago.
