IBB Spor was eliminated from the Turkish Cup after a thrilling quarter-final battle againstGalatasaray HDI Sigorta, lost with3:2 (25:23, 22:25, 19:25, 25:22, 15:13). Despite the defeat, the national playerDenislav Bardarovhad an exceptional match and finished asthe top scorer with 31 points.
The match was played at the Burhan Felek Vestel Voleybol Salonu in Istanbul, and Galatasaray became the first semifinalist.
Bardarov vs Maar "," the duel of leaders
| Indicator | Denislav Bardarov (IBB Spor) | Stephen Maar (Galatasaray) |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 31 | 28 |
| Plus/Minus | +18 | +21 |
| Ace (serve) | 4 | 4 |
| Block | 2 | 2 |
| Attack % | 51% | 56% |
| Attack efficiency | 41% | 46% |
For the winners, Jean Patry and Ahmet Tümer added 16 points each, Gökçen Yüksel – 14, while for IBB Spor, Halil İbrahim Yücel scored 17, and Ali Fazlı – 13.
Team statistics
| Indicator | Galatasaray | IBB Spor |
|---|---|---|
| Ace (serve) | 9 | 8 |
| Positive reception | 34% | 23% |
| Attack points | 64 | 66 |
| Block | 10 | 4 |
| Opponent errors | 28 | 25 |
IBB Spor was more effective in attack (66:64), but Galatasaray won the match with stronger 'hidden' elements – better reception (34% vs 23%) and a huge difference in blocks (10:4). With such a balance, the hosts also gained more points from serve (9:8) and from opponent errors (28:25), which ultimately tipped the match in their favor in the tie-break.
In the other quarterfinal of the 2026 Erkekler AXA Sigorta Kupa Voley, Ziraat Bankkart defeated Altekma 3:0 (25:19, 25:22, 25:19) at home and qualified for the semifinals, with Nimir Abdel-Aziz being the top scorer with 23 points.
Tomorrow are the remaining two quarterfinals for the 2026 Erkekler AXA Sigorta Kupa Voley – ON HOTELS Alanya Bld. vs İstanbul Gençlik and Fenerbahçe Medicana vs Spor Toto, with the intrigue being whether we will see Kristán Pádár in action in this match, who left Monza yesterday and headed specifically to İstanbul Gençlik.
Life plays tricks – just three days ago the two teams met again, this time for the championship, IBB again lost dramatically 2:3, and Denislav Bardarov once again exploded with 31 points, while Stephen Maar remained one step behind him with 30.
