Finals in Turkey: Elitsa Vasileva and Hristina Vuchkova with silver after defeat for Fenerbahçe Opet 🇧🇬🥈
Bulgarian volleyball players Elitsa Vasileva-Atanasijević and Hristina Vuchkova finished the 2024/25 season with the vice-championship title in the Turkish Sultanlar League, after their team Fenerbahçe Opet lost the third match of the final series against VakıfBank with 1:3 (16:25, 15:25, 25:19, 19:25) in "Burhan Felek" Sports Hall.
💛💙 The Fenerbahçe players started the match with starters such as Arina Fedorovtseva, Ana Cristina, captain Eda Erdem, as well as stars Melissa Vargas and setter Bojana Drča, but they could not counter VakıfBank's powerful play in the first two sets.
🔄 In the third set, Fenerbahçe showed revival and reduced the deficit, but VakıfBank did not allow a surprise and with a decisive fourth set ended the series, winning the title with 3:0 victories.
📌 Vasileva and Vuchkova contributed with experience and stability throughout the season, helping Fenerbahçe reach the final playoff, but the trophy remained a dream this year. Vuchkova entered the match for a short time but did not score any points.
📋Team compositions:
🔸FENERBAHÇE OPET:
Bojana Drča, Arina Fedorovtseva (11), Aslı Kalaç (6), Melissa Vargas (17), Ana Cristina (15), Eda Erdem Dündar (5), Gizem Örge (libero), Magdalena Stysiak (2), Meliha Diken (1), Ezgi Karaaslan (3)
🔸VAKIFBANK:
Yuan Xinyue (4), Cansu Özbay (5), Marina Markova (24), Zehra Güneş (6), Chiara Van Ryk (21), Derya Cebecioğlu (10), Ayça Aykaç (libero), Aylin Sarıoğlu Acar (libero)
👉 The final was another clash between the two giants of Turkish women's volleyball, with VakıfBank once again showing why they are among the leading teams in Europe.
Kiara Van Ryk from VakıfBank was awarded for the fastest serve (113 km/h),measured during the final series of the Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi 2024-2025.
🟡⚫Fenerbahçe – VakıfBank rivalry
This is the ninth final between the two giants since the start of the playoff system in the 1995-1996 season. So far, the balance in the final series is absolutely even –4:4 titles. Their first clash in a final was in the 2008-2009 season, and the last – in 2021-2022.
📊 Finals between Vakıfbank and Fenerbahçe:
2008-2009 – Fenerbahçe Acıbadem
2009-2010 – Fenerbahçe Acıbadem
2010-2011 – Fenerbahçe Acıbadem
2013-2014 – Vakıfbank
2014-2015 – Fenerbahçe
2015-2016 – Vakıfbank
2020-2021 – Vakıfbank
2021-2022 – Vakıfbank
🌍 European context:
The two teams also met in the Champions League quarterfinals this season. Fenerbahçe won the first away match 3:0 but lost the return leg 1:3 and was eliminated after a dramatic 'golden set' – a scenario also seen two years ago.
🏆 History of champions in Sultanlar Ligi (until 2023-2024):
Eczacıbaşı – 16 titles
Vakıfbank – 13
Fenerbahçe – 7
Emlak Bankası – 3
2020 without a champion due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Fenerbahce Medicana secured participation in the CEV Champions League for the 2025/26 season! 🙌
