Four years after Arkas Izmir brought to Turkey the first-ever European club tournament trophy (the CEV Challenge Cup), the capital-based Halkbank rationailzed the gradual investments in local volleyball and grabbed the CEV Cup.
Having lost their home game in four sets on Wednesday, Silvano Prandi‘s lads had nothing more to lose. The Italians had to release the piles of pressure they had felt in Latina four days earlier and fight bravely in the closing game of their debut European season. As a matter of fact, this was exactly what the rookies did and became the only team to play a tie-break in Ankara, but it did not suffice at the end.
The packed “Baskent” sports hall was giving the hosts an additional propulsion, but pretty soon they came to realize that the return game will not be an easy affair. Andreoli took the opening set and had a slight advantage in the overall stats in terms of attack, serve and block efficiency.
In what turned out to be a prolific display of reception skills (combined by the unusually low number of aces, especially in Halkbank’s matches), a fifth-set decider would tip the balance in favour of either teams. The miracle for which the Italians had been hoping, however, did not happen and the current 9th place Serie A1 holders had to receive silver medals without a chance for reaching for the Golden Set.
Head coach Veselin Vukovic had an insight to start the tie-break with Can Ayvazoglu instead of the Venezuelan Luis Diaz in a rotation with the final’s MVP William Priddy – a move that contributed with a perfect attack, positive reception and serve efficiency (3 times 100%)! The 22 points of Ahmed Abdelhay was another factor for the final outcome.
Thus, Turkish men’s volleyball sends off quite a prosperous international season. A landmark season, I would even say, which, on the basis of comparison to the financial and economic crisis in other countries, provides domestic clubs and league with a tempting visiting card.
Halkbank Ankara – Andreoli Latina 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-17, 22-25, 15-11)
Pictures: CEV
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