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Full restart in Göztepe: 11 volleyball players out after parting ways with coach

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VolleyWeek

March 31, 2026 at 10:04

Full restart in Göztepe: 11 volleyball players out after parting ways with coach

Turkish Göztepe enters the new season with a completely changed look, after the club undertook radical measures at both coaching and player levels.
The process began on March 16, when the club officially announced the separation from head coach Ataman Güneyiligil. The decision was made by mutual agreement and is part of the preparation for the new season, as under his leadership the team achieved key successes  promotion to the elite and a stable performance in its first season in the Sultanlar League.
Just weeks later, a much larger move followed  Göztepe parted ways with a total of 11 players from its squad.

Departed Players Nationality Position
Kara BajemaUSAOutside Hitter
Sheridan AtkinsonUSAOpposite Hitter
Kayla HanelineUSAMiddle Blocker
Amélie RotarFranceOutside Hitter
Lana ŠčukaSloveniaOutside Hitter
Eda KafkasTurkeySetter
Emine ArıcıTurkeyMiddle Blocker
İlayda UçakTurkeyMiddle Blocker
Nehir KurtulanTurkeyLibero
Bihter DumanoğluTurkeyLibero
Ceren Kestirengöz KapucuTurkeyOpposite Hitter


The release of such a large number of players, including the team captain, clearly indicates a complete restructuring. All lines in the squad are affected, which means Göztepe will practically build a new team from scratch.
The club's development in recent seasons provides context for these decisions. After an 8th and 11th place finish in the second tier of Turkish volleyball, the team made a significant breakthrough in the 2024/25 season, when they finished second and earned promotion to the Sultanlar Ligi. In their first season in the elite league, Göztepe finished 11th with 28 points, a balance of 9 wins and 17 losses, and a set difference of 40:56.
It was during this crucial season that Bulgarian international Miroslava Paskova was part of the squad, subsequently continuing her career in the American LOVB league with the Atlanta team.
Against this backdrop, media reports emerged that Bulgarian specialist Radoslav Arsov is among the main candidates for the team's new head coach, although the club has not yet made an official announcement.
The chronology of events h first a separation with the coach, and then with almost the entire squad h clearly shows that a new project is starting at Göztepe, in which a completely new team will be built for the next season.