Halkbank, led by Radostin Stoychev, qualified for the Final Four of the Turkish Cup after a dramatic 3:2 (26:24, 23:25, 26:28, 25:23, 15:9) victory over Fenerbahçe..The match in Ankara lasted 168 minutes in front of 3500 spectators, and the big hero for the winners was the Brazilian opposite Darlan Ferreira, who finished with an impressive 38 points. Both Bulgarian volleyball players from Halkbank – Matey Kaziyski and Denislav Bardarov – also participated in the match.
The clash offered five contested sets, three of which were decided by the minimal difference of two points. Halkbank won the first set 26:24, but Fenerbahçe equalized after 25:23 in the second. The third set turned into another point-for-point battle, ending with a 28:26 success for the visitors.
Facing elimination, Radostin Stoychev's volleyball players managed to equalize after 25:23 in the fourth set. In the decisive tie-break, the hosts asserted their superiority and reached victory with 15:9.
Darlan Ferreira played an exceptional match.The Brazilian opposite scored 38 points, including 35 from attack from 46 attempts, which means a 76% success rate. He also added three aces, finishing the match with 10 points won on the team's own serve.
Belgian Sam Deroo contributed 16 points, including 3 blocks, and Denislav Bardarov finished with 12 points – 8 from attack, 3 blocks, and 1 ace. The Bulgarian receiver started as a starter and remained on the court for the first three sets. In attack, he scored 8 out of 21 attempts, and in reception, he recorded 68% positive reception from 19 serves directed at him.

Matey Kaziyski also contributed to the success. The experienced Bulgarian started as a starter in the first set, after which he was also used in the remaining sets. He finished with 6 points from attack from 14 attempts and 58% positive reception.
For Fenerbahçe, the most effective scorer was American Matthew Anderson with 23 points, of which 18 were from attack, 3 aces, and 2 blocks. Kaan Gürbüz added 18 points, and Chinyeze Barthélémy finished with 16.
Tension and two players sent off at the end of the tie-break
The final rallies of the decisive set were also marked by disciplinary sanctions. According to the official electronic chronology, Halit Kurtuluş from Halkbank and Bedirhan Bülbül from Fenerbahçe were sent off. Ertuğrul Gazi Metin and Mert Matić entered in their places, respectively.
A warning for delaying the game, addressed to Halkbank, was also registered in the protocol.
Statistically, Halkbank had an advantage in attack with 69 against 64 successful attacks, as well as in blocking – 10:8. Both teams scored 6 aces each, but the hosts showed better positive reception – 56% against 46%.
In the semi-final, Halkbank will face the winner of the match between Galatasaray and Gebze Belediyesporwhich is scheduled for this evening at 7:00 PM in Istanbul. The winner of this quarter-final will join Halkbank in the Final Four of the tournament.

photos:halkbankspor.org.tr