Kobe, Japan, May 13, 2017 – The first semifinals brought a turkish derby to world audience- VakifBank vs Eczacibasi Vitra. Vakifbank stopped Eczacibasi to defend the title of FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship Kobe 2017 final and anenged their semifinal loss in Manila last year, in fourth exhilarating sets 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22).
VakifBank gained a two-set advantage over the defending champions as their scoring trio – Zhu, Sloetjes and Hill – took every opportunity to exploit their rivals’ defence. Eczacibasi’s difficulty in holding on to their lead and their sudden loss of momentum down the stretch were significant factors in these set defeats, but they managed a comeback in the third set with great net defence. VakifBank wasted no time and responded to every Eczacibasi hit until they reached the end of the set and match.
After the match, head coach of Vakifbank, Giovanni Guidetti, appreciated the team’s performance especially the net defence and the team spirit that helped them come back from tough times. Top scorer from Eczacibasi, Tijana Boskovic stays positive, stating the team will try her best to bring home a medal on Sunday.
Match Replay: https://youtu.be/rX4Iv7rVu7k
