VakıfBank S.K.

VakıfBank SK
Full nameVakıfBank Spor Kulübü
Short nameVakıfBank
Founded1986
GroundVakıfBank Sports Palace, Istanbul
(Capacity: 2,000)
ChairmanAbdi Serdar Üstünsalih
ManagerItaly Giovanni Guidetti
CaptainTurkey Zehra Güneş
LeagueSultanlar Ligi
CEV Champions League
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away
Championships
4 World Championships
6 European Championships
1 CEV Cup
1 CEV Challenge Cup
1 Top Volley International
13 Turkish Championships
9 Turkish Cups
5 Turkish Super Cups

VakıfBank Sports Club (Turkish: VakıfBank Spor Kulübü) is a Turkish professional volleyball club based in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1986, VakıfBank SK is currently one of the best women's volleyball teams in the world, having won the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship a record four times and the European Champions League six times to date.[1]

From 23 October 2012 to 22 January 2014, the team held a 73-games winning streak in all official domestic and international competitions, which was acknowledged as a world record by Guinness World Records.[2][3] The club won all 52 official games played during the 2012–13 season[4] and all 51 official games played in 2013.[5] VakıfBank collected all five championship trophies unbeaten in the 2012–13 season, being the only club in volleyball history to have achieved this unparalleled feat.[2]

History

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The team was established following a merger between two separate teams: VakıfBank and Güneş Sigorta.[1] VakıfBank were originally an Ankara-based team but moved to Istanbul after the merger. Their name changed to VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta, VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom (VGSTT), VakıfBank Türk Telekom and VakıfBank respectively.[6]

VakıfBank won three unbeaten[citation needed] CEV Champions League championships in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018, and are the only unbeaten champions in European Champions League history. They also placed second in 1998 and 1999 in this competition. They won the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021 Club World Championship, the CEV Top Teams Cup in 2004 and CEV Challenge Cup in 2008 while finishing second in the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in 2011 and third in the European Confederation Cup of 2000.[7]

The team is coached by Italian Giovanni Guidetti since 2008. VakıfBank won 47 games of 47 in the 2012–13 season in all competitions including the European Champions League (12 games), Turkish League (29 games), and Turkish Cup (6 games). After that season, they kept most of the players and coaching staff for the 2013–14 season with little changes: Jelena Nikolic, who took a break volleyball for one year, came back to the team[citation needed] and Italian international Carolina Costagrande transfers from Chinese club Guangdong Evergrande V.C. instead of Polish spiker Malgorzata Glinka and Japanese Saori Kimura.[citation needed] Glinka left the team after three great seasons and moved to her home country for familial reasons.[citation needed]

From 23 October 2012 to 22 January 2014, VakıfBank won 73 consecutive victories in all official competitions, which was acknowledged as a world record by Guinness World Records. During this feat the team won an unprecedented 5 trophies including the Club World Championship, European Champions League, and the domestic treble consisting of the Turkish National League, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup. Their streak was finally ended on 27 January 2014 in a game against rivals Fenerbahçe.[2]

Venue

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Since 2016, the club has played home matches at the VakıfBank Sports Palace (Turkish: VakıfBank Spor Sarayı) in Istanbul. The venue has a capacity of 2,000 spectators.[8]

Current roster

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VakıfBank S.K. is one of the best women's volleyball teams in the world, having won the FIVB World Championship four times and the CEV Champions Cup six times.

VakifBank S.K. for season 2024/2025.

No. Player Date of birth Height (m) Position Country
1 Ali Frantti 3 March 1996 1.85 Outside hitter  United States
3 Cansu Özbay 17 October 1996 1.82 Setter  Turkey
4 Ilayda Naz Gergef 2 January 2006 1.74 Libero  Turkey
5 Ayça Aykaç 27 February 1996 1.76 Libero  Turkey
7 Kiera Van Ryk 6 January 1999 1.88 Opposite hitter  Canada
9 Caterina Bosetti 2 February 1994 1.80 Outside Hitter  Italy
10 Kendall Kipp 12 December 2000 1.98 Opposite hitter  United States
11 Sıla Çalışkan 16 December 1996 1.83 Setter  Turkey
12 Yuan Xinyue 21 December 1996 2.03 Middle Blocker  China
15 Deniz Uyanık 25 June 2001 1.95 Middle blocker  Turkey
16 Aylin Sarıoğlu 21 July 1995 1.68 Libero  Turkey
17 Derya Cebecioğlu 24 October 2000 1.82 Outside hitter  Turkey
18 Zehra Güneş (c) 7 July 1999 1.97 Middle blocker  Turkey
21 Bahar Akbay 21 January 1998 1.96 Middle blocker  Turkey
22 Selin Yener 28 July 2009 1.77 Setter  Turkey
23 Marina Markova 27 January 2001 1.99 Outside hitter  Russia

Honours

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International competitions

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Domestic competitions

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Season by season

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Season League Pos. Turkish Cup Turkish Super Cup European competitions Worldwide competitions
2015–16 TWVL 1st Runners-up CEV Champions League Runners-up FIVB Women's CWC
2016–17 TWVL 3rd Runners-up CEV Champions League C FIVB Women's CWC 3rd
2017–18 TWVL 1st Champions Champions CEV Champions League C FIVB Women's CWC C
2018–19 TWVL 1st 3rd Runners-up CEV Champions League 3rd FIVB Women's CWC C
2019–20 TWVL Runners-up CEV Champions League FIVB Women's CWC C
2020–21 TWVL 1st Champions Runners-up CEV Champions League RU
2021–22 TWVL 1st Champions Champions CEV Champions League C FIVB Women's CWC C
2022–23 TWVL Runners-up CEV Champions League FIVB Women's CWC RU

Previous names

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  • 1986–1999: Güneş Sigorta
  • 1999–2009: VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta
  • 2009–2011: VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom
  • 2011–2012: VakıfBank Türk Telekom
  • 2012–present: VakıfBank

Notable players

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Players written in italic still play for the club.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tarihçe [History]". vakifbanksporkulubu.com (in Turkish). VakıfBank SK. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Most consecutive volleyball victories in all competitions (female)". guinnessworldrecords.com. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Vakıfbank 73 yaptı çeyrek finale kaldı". Fanatik (in Turkish). 2014-01-23. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  4. ^ "Genel Fikstür". Turkish Volleyball Federation (in Turkish). 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  5. ^ "Genel Fikstür". Turkish Volleyball Federation (in Turkish). 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
  6. ^ "Yeni isimleri Vakıfbank Türk Telekom oldu". hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Hürriyet. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  7. ^ Historic achievements of Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta women's volleyball team
  8. ^ "VakifBank unveil their new state-of-the-art home at VakıfBank Spor Sarayı". CEV. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
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