Halkbank suffered a 0:3 (24:26,22:25,27:29) defeat against Galatasaray in the first match of the semi-final series in the Turkish championship.
For the hosts, led by Radostin Stoychev, Matey Kaziyski finished with 16 points (+11), including 1 ace, while Tsvetan Sokolov also scored 16 points (+10), with 1 ace and high efficiency in attack.

For Galatasaray, Stephen Maar was the top scorer with 21 points, Patry added 15, and Jeschke contributed 12 points.
In terms of team performance, Galatasaray had an advantage in key elements – 5 aces against 3, 50 successful attacks against 49 for Halkbank, and 5 blocks against 2. The two teams were close in reception (48% against 50%), with the difference also coming from opponent errors – 21 for the visitors against 20 for the hosts.
Georgi Tatarov did not participate for the team from Istanbul, as he continues his recovery after a severe virus.
In the other semi-final, Ziraat Bankkart defeated Spor Toto 3:0 (25:15,25:14,25:21), and the second matches of the series are scheduled for April 15.

photos: Halkbank Sports Club