National player Denislav Bardarov and his Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor lost as guests to the leader Ziraat Bank (Ankara) 0:3 (22:25, 23:25, 19:25) in a match from the 12th round, played in the TVF Ziraat Bankkart hall. This is the 7th loss in the Turkish Efeler League for Bardarov and company.
The match started evenly, but the hosts showed higher efficiency in the decisive moments of the first two sets, which they won by a minimal margin. In the third set, Ziraat Bank imposed more serious control in attack and block and closed the match without unnecessary hesitation.
Despite the loss, Denislav Bardarov played another very strong match and was the most productive player of the game with 22 points.
(2 blocks, 1 ace, 61% attack efficiency and 61% positive reception).
For the winners, Olympic champion with France Trevor Clévenot scored 16 points, and Polish national player Tomasz Fornal added 14 points. Finland's Joonas Jokela contributed 12 points to the final success.
Ziraat Bank dominated in the key elements of the game – higher attack efficiency, more stable blocking, and fewer service errors. The guests from Istanbul had serious reception problems, which prevented them from maintaining consistency throughout the match.
Standings after the 12th round
| Team | M (Matches) | W (Wins) | L (Losses) | Sets | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ziraat Bank (Ankara) | 12 | 11 | 1 | 33:9 | 32 |
| Istanbul BB | 12 | 5 | 7 | - | 17 |
Leader Ziraat Bank continues to gain confidence with an impressive set ratio of 33:9, which clearly demonstrates the team's dominance in the first half of the season. IBB remains in the middle of the table – 8th place, as Bardarov's individual performances partially compensate for the collective fluctuations, but are not enough against a team of such class.
What's next
In the 13th round, the last of the first half of the season,
Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor hosts Spor Toto ", the match is on Saturday, December 27, at 3:30 PM Bulgarian time.
Ziraatbank travels to Akkuş Belediyespor, aiming to consolidate its leading position before the second half of the season.
The Bulgarian international continues to be among the most consistent and effective attackers in the league, and his performance remains one of the few positive news for IBB during this difficult period.
