Turkish national volleyball team player Naz Aydemir Akyol will set a record for the most appearances, as well as being the first player to play in eight consecutive Final Fours
Vakıfbank and Turkish national player Naz Aydemir Akyol, who is one of the best setters in Europe, will break two records when she plays in the Final Four of CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League on April 9. Akyol will set a record for the most appearances in the competition, as well as becoming the first player to play in eight consecutive Final Fours. The 26-year-old represents Eczacıbaşı Zentiva, who came fourth in the tournament in 2008-09. In the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, while she was playing for Fenerbahçe, her team came in second, third and first, respectively. Since 2012, she has been playing for Vakıfbank. In 2012-2013, she won the championship one more time with VakıfBank. In 2013-14, VakıfBank was second in the tournament. Last season, she came in second with the same team. The Final Four tournament of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League for Women will be held April 9-19 in Montichiari, Italy. So this has another meaning for Naz Aydemir.
Following completion of the Playoffs 6 earlier this week, hosts Pomi Casalmaggiore - this season making their first appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League -knows that in the semis they will be locking horns with Russia's Dinamo Kazan, the gold medalists from the 2014 edition, who also have a bronze medal on their resume from the 2012 Finals held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The other semi-final will be an all-Turkish affair starring 2011 and 2013 gold medal winners VakıfBank and Fenerbahçe Grundig, with the Yellow Angels returning to the stage of the Final Four for the first time since their gold medal performance in 2012. VakıfBank had to settle for silver and bronze in 2014 and 2015, respectively, while Fenerbahçe's list of honors also includes a silver (2010) and bronze medal (2011).
Giovanni Guidetti's VakıfBank edged out Volero 3-1 (25-22, 32-34, 25-21, 25-22) to secure their qualification for the Final Four of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women on March 24, and go for a much-anticipated derby with archrival Fenerbahçe Grundig on April 9 in Montichiari.
Fenerbahçe Grundig already qualified for the Final Four on March 22 after claiming their re-match with Dinamo Moscow. The Final Four will be attended, inter alia, by CEV President Aleksandar Boricic, CEV Senior Vice President Renato Arena, Italian Volleyball Federation President Carlo Magri and the president of the Italian Women's Volleyball League, Mauro Fabris.The PalaGeorge, the venue hosting the finals, which is named after the late Indian Volleyball player Jimmy George, will also welcome a number of other illustrious guests, starting with Brazilian coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes, aka Ze Roberto, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner with the Brazilian men's (1992) and women's national teams (2008 and 2012), and another three-time Olympic champion, Cuban volleyball legend Mireya Luis. Other retired volleyball stars scheduled to show up include the U.S.'s Keba Phipps, Dutch volleyball legend Henriette Weersing, Germany's Angelina Hübner-Grün, Bulgaria's Antonina Zetova and many more. The schedule of the matches has been set: the semis on Saturday, April 9, starting at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. before the bronze and gold medal matches follow on Sunday, April 10 at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
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