After an impressive end to the 2024–2025 season with the championship title in the Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi, but also a disappointing fourth place in the Champions League, the volleyball giant VakıfBank is ready to attack the new season with ambitions for trophies on all fronts.
Led by experienced Italian coach Giovanni Guidetti, the team will compete for titles in four directions – the Turkish Championship, the Turkish Cup, the Super Cup, and European club tournaments.
The club's management officially announced the completion of the selection for the 2025–2026 season, with the squad combining star experience, young energy, and international class. The team features the names of some of the best players in the world, including the highest-paid volleyball player - the Serbian superstarTijana Bošković.
USA's middle blocker,Chiaka Ogbogu, returns to VakıfBank's ranks after a season in League One Volleyball (LOVB) with LOVB Austin, where she won the inaugural title. With enthusiasm and emotion, she will once again don the yellow and black jersey:
"I am so excited to be back. Thank you for the support and love. I am happy to be in my second home and to be able to fight for more trophies," said Ogbogu.
Between 2021 and 2024, she won eight gold medals with VakıfBank, including two Champions League titles, and with the US national team, she won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024. Known for her blocking (including an Olympic record of 8 blocks against Serbia in 2024), as well as her successes with Italian giant Imoco Conegliano, Ogbogu is a strategic addition in the quest for new trophies.
VakıfBank squad for the 2025–2026 season:
Setters:
Cansu Özbay
Sıla Çalışkan
Opposites:
Tijana Bošković
Gabriela Orvošová
Outside Hitters:
Marina Markova
Derya Cebecioğlu
Helena Cazaute
Katarina Dangubic
Middle Blockers:
Zehra Güneş (captain)
Chiaka Ogbogu
Deniz Uyanık
Berka Buse Özden
Liberos:
Ayça Aykaç Altıntaş
Aylin Acar
Nehir Kurtulan
VakıfBank's selection reflects the club's serious ambitions for new successes at both national and international levels. The combination of established names and promising young players gives fans reason to expect another strong season for the yellow and black team from Istanbul.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
