The two Bulgarian volleyball players Georgi Seganov and Kristiyan Aleksov failed to help Istanbul BBSK successfully oppose champions Ziraatbank. The team from Ankara won their home game 3:0 (25:20, 25:17, 25:14) in a match from the fifth round of the Turkish Efeler League.
The match lasted 79 minutes in front of 500 spectators, with the hosts controlling its development and increasing their lead with each subsequent set.
Kristiyan Aleksov was among Istanbul BBSK's top scorers. The Bulgarian outside hitter finished with 8 points – 7 from attack and 1 ace. He converted 7 out of 16 attacks, which means 44% success rate, making 3 errors and being stopped twice by the opponent's block.
Aleksov was also heavily involved in reception. 21 serves were directed at him, where he registered 62% positive and 29% perfect reception, with one direct error. The Bulgarian started as a starter in the first two sets, and came in as a substitute in the third.
Georgi Seganov also participated in all three sets. The Bulgarian setter started as a starter in the first and third parts, and came off the bench in the second. He did not score a point, serving 7 times without error.
The standout player in the match was Ziraatbank's Dutch opposite Nimir Abdelaziz, who finished with 19 points. Of these, 17 came from attack, and the remaining 2 – directly from serve.
For Istanbul BBSK, the top scorer was Estonian opposite Rene Teppan with 8 points, the same as Kristiyan Aleksov.
The statistical superiority of the champions was clear. Ziraatbank scored 38 points from attack against 27 for the guests, 7 blocks against 4, and 5 aces against 2.
The hosts also had a significant advantage in opponent errors, from which they received 27 points, while Istanbul BBSK won 19 points after Ziraatbank's inaccuracies.
The third set was particularly indicative, in which the champions left their opponent with only 14 points and finished the match without much difficulty.
For Seganov and Aleksov, this was a tough away game against one of the strongest teams in the Turkish championship, and Istanbul BBSK will have to seek better attacking efficiency in their next matches.