VakifBank Istanbul started its participation in the group stage of the CEV Champions League Volley 2026 convincingly, after defeating French Volero Le Cannet 3:0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-19). The Turkish powerhouse controlled the game throughout the match in Istanbul and left no doubt about their superiority, with Russian Marina Markova, who played one of her strongest matches in European tournaments, being named MVP.
The match offered no serious comebacks – the hosts built comfortable leads in each set and did not allow their opponent to match their pace in attack and reception. For the Bulgarian audience, there was another highlight – Vangelia Rachkovska, a former receiver for Maritsa, started as a regular for Volero and received significant playing time.
Vangelia Rachkovska (Volero Le Cannet)
Total points: 10
Attack: 31 attempts – 8 successful – 2 errors – efficiency 26%
Block: 1 point
Serve: 9 attempts – 1 ace – 0 errors
Reception: 15 attempts – 20% positive – 0% excellent
Digs: not recorded
Break points scored: 2
Top scorers for Volero
Aida Dautova – 10 pts.
Alina Popova – 10 pts.
Vangelia Rachkovska – 10 pts.
Marina Markova (VakifBank – MVP)
Total points: 26
Attack: 31 attempts – 21 successful – 1 error – efficiency 68%
Block: 3 points
Serve: 15 attempts – 2 aces – 1 error
Reception: 27 attempts – 41% positive – 22% excellent
Digs: 15
Break points: 15
Top scorers for Vakifbank
Marina Markova – 26 pts.
Tijana Boskovic – 11 pts.
Zehra Gunes – 10 pts.
Vakifbank demonstrated its typical power right from its first group stage match – stable reception, aggressive attack, and block dominance. Markova was untouchable in attack and showed leadership qualities that fully justified her selection as MVP. On the other side, Rachkovska made a good contribution for Volero, but the French team simply couldn't find a solution against the pace and variety in the game of the Turkish powerhouse.
