Final Four schedule
- April 22 – semifinals – VakifBank Istanbul def. Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-22)
- April 22 – semifinals –Imoco Volley Conegliano def. Dynamo Moscow 3-1 (25-18, 25-15, 15-25, 27-25)
- April 23 – bronze medal match – Eczacibasi def. Dynamo Moscow 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22)
- April 23 – gold medal match – VakifBank def. Conegliano 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-23)
VakifBank Istanbul from Turkey’s first division won the 2017 European Women’s Champions League title, downing host Imoco Volley Conegliano of Italy’s Serie A1 via sweep in the gold medal match Sunday.
VakifBank won the match 25-19, 25-13, 25-23 to earn an automatic bid to the 217 FIVB Club World Championship, May 9-14 in Kobe, Japan. The title is the third CEV crown for VakifBank, following wins in 2011 and 2013.
“It’s an incredible feeling!” American Kimberly Hill, who plays outside hitter for VakifBank and helped the USA to a bronze in Rio said. “You don’t have any kind of expectations when you come in to this kind of match. You just go in and try to play good. It’s easy with this kind of teammates. Everyone is supporting one another and makes it really fun.”
In addition to Hill, VakifBank’s roster features Olympic gold medalist Zhu Ting from China. Ting came up big for the squad, downing 22 points and attacking at a .580 clip. Serena Ortolani accounted for 12 points to lead Congeliano, which advanced to the final in its first Final Four appearance.
Watch video of the match here.
In the bronze medal match, 2015 CEV champs Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul from the Turkish first division defeated Dynamo Moscow, of the Russian Super League, 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22). Neslihan Demir Guler led Eszacibasi with 19 points, while American Rachael Adams and Hande Baladin added 17 apiece. Nataliya Gonchorova paced Dynamo with 20 points.
Watch video of the match here.
FINAL FOUR
VakifBank advanced to the championship match, defeating Eczacibasi 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-22) in Saturday’s first semifinal match. Ting tallied 24 points in that win, while Hill added six points, including three aces. Eczacibasi, the two-time reigning club world champions, got 10 points from Adams (9 kills, 1 block), seven from Tijana Boskovic (7 kills) and five from American Jordan Larson (4 kills, 1 ace).
Conegliano earned its spot in the final by downing Dynamo Moscow, of the Russian Super League, 3-1 (25-18, 25-15, 15-25, 27-25). Five players posted 10 or more points, led by Serena Ortolani (20) and Americans Kelsey Robinson (19) and Nicole Fawcett (17). Yana Shcherban (19) and Nataliya Goncharova (19) led the Dynamo Moscow effort.
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