Bulgarian national player Aleksandra Milanova scored 9 points in Afyon Belediyes Yuntas' 1:3 (20:25, 35:33, 19:25, 17:25) home loss to VakifBank in a match from the sixth round of the Turkish Sultans League.
Milanova started as a starter and remained on the court for all four sets against one of the main contenders for the championship title.
The most interesting moment in the match came in the second set. After losing the first set 20:25, the hosts resisted their renowned opponent in a prolonged battle that lasted until 35:33. Afyon managed to equalize, but VakifBank regained control of the match and won the next two sets 25:19 and 25:17.
The Bulgarian outside hitter finished with 8 points from attack and one from block. Milanova was among the most heavily used players for the hosts, receiving 39 balls in attack and converting 21% of her attacks. She made six direct errors, and four more of her attacks were stopped by the opponent's block.
Her role in reception was also significant. Milanova handled 29 serves, achieving 55% positive and 38% excellent reception, without making a direct error in this element.
The most effective scorer for Afyon was Sevgi Ceren Yuzgenc Solak with 19 points, followed by Jovana Kocic and Liza Safronova with 10 each.
For VakifBank, Tijana Boskovic scored the most points - 21, while Zehra Gunes added 15, and Elena Cazaut finished with 11.
Although they managed to win one of the most contested sets of the round, Afyon did not find enough effective attacking solutions to resist the favorite until the end. The team finished the match with 32% attack efficiency, and Milanova was second in the number of attacks for the hosts after Solak, who received 45 balls.
For Afyon, this was their fifth loss since the start of the season, leaving the team with one win after six matches played.