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Istanbul 2026: VakıfBank Claim Their Seventh European CrownIstanbul hosted a memorable conclusion to the women’s club volleyball season on 2–3 May 2026. VakıfBank and Eczacıbaşı each came through a five-set semifinal before meeting in an all-Turkish Champions League final. VakıfBank won the title match 3–1, adding a seventh championship to their European record.
The Final Four produced outstanding individual performances as well as a team triumph. Tijana Bošković led VakıfBank’s scoring in both the semifinal and final, Marina Markova made a major attacking contribution in both matches, and Magdalena Stysiak played a central role in Eczacıbaşı’s qualification. The title was decided in front of 13,500 spectators at Ülker Sports and Event Hall.
Fenerbahçe against Türk Hava Yolları at Burhan Felek Hall. Archive photograph from March 2024 illustrating Turkish club volleyball.
2 May: VakıfBank Recover from Two Sets DownVakıfBank made a difficult start against Italy’s Conegliano, losing the opening sets 22–25 and 18–25. Conegliano then led 22–18 in the third, leaving the Turkish side fighting to keep their campaign alive. VakıfBank overturned that deficit to take the set 29–27, then won the fourth 25–23 to force a decider.
The comeback was completed with a 15–11 fifth set and a 3–2 victory. Bošković scored 34 points and Markova added 31, making their attacking output one of the match’s defining features. For the Italian side, Gabi and Isabelle Haak scored 20 points apiece, while Zhu Ting contributed 17.
The result sent VakıfBank into their tenth European final, all under head coach Giovanni Guidetti. Rescuing the third set was the turning point: a match that began with a two-set deficit ended with another opportunity to compete for the title the following day.
Eczacıbaşı Edge Scandicci in Five SetsEczacıbaşı also needed five sets against Italy’s Scandicci in the second semifinal on 2 May. After losing the opener 20–25, they took the next two sets 25–20 and 25–17. Scandicci responded by winning the fourth 25–21, before Eczacıbaşı settled the deciding set 15–8.
Magdalena Stysiak finished with 30 points for the Turkish side, Ebrar Karakurt scored 18, and Sinead Jack-Kisal added 13. Ekaterina Antropova’s 34 points for Scandicci were the highest individual total of the match, but Eczacıbaşı’s collective performance secured their place in the final.
Those results completed an all-Turkish final, reached by different routes. VakıfBank recovered after losing the opening two sets; Eczacıbaşı won the decider after surrendering a two-sets-to-one lead. Both earned qualification, despite the contrasting sequences of their matches.
Another view of Fenerbahçe against Türk Hava Yolları at Burhan Felek Hall. Archive photograph from March 2024.
The Sets That Decided the Final Four| Stage and date | Winner and opponent | Result | Set scores from the winner’s perspective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semifinal — 2 May | VakıfBank vs Conegliano | 3–2 | 22–25, 18–25, 29–27, 25–23, 15–11 |
| Semifinal — 2 May | Eczacıbaşı vs Scandicci | 3–2 | 20–25, 25–20, 25–17, 21–25, 15–8 |
| Final — 3 May | VakıfBank vs Eczacıbaşı | 3–1 | 25–20, 25–21, 21–25, 25–18 |
3 May: VakıfBank Win the All-Turkish FinalThe final took place at Istanbul’s Ülker Sports and Event Hall before 13,500 spectators. VakıfBank took the first set 25–20 and the second 25–21. Eczacıbaşı narrowed the deficit by winning the third 25–21, but VakıfBank closed out the fourth 25–18 to claim the championship 3–1.
Bošković scored 33 points in the title match, with Markova contributing 26. The victory gave VakıfBank seven Champions League titles and Guidetti his seventh triumph in the competition. It also made the club the most successful in the competition across both men’s and women’s volleyball.
Their campaign was distinguished by an ability to recover: VakıfBank came back from two sets down to win three times in this edition, a competition record for a single campaign. The semifinal was the last of those tests before the title, making the rescue of the third set against Conegliano a decisive step on the road to the Istanbul final.
Bošković: A First Champions League Title and the MVP AwardThis was Tijana Bošković’s first Champions League title, won against her former club Eczacıbaşı in the final. She received the Final Four Most Valuable Player award and was also named Best Opposite in the tournament’s Dream Team.
Of her 33 points in the final, 31 came from successful attacks. She finished the European campaign with 217 points, third among the competition’s scorers behind Antropova and Markova. The distinction matters: 217 was her total for the competition, 33 her final-match tally, and 34 her semifinal score.
Together, those figures show how her sustained scoring throughout the tournament was matched by her performances in Istanbul’s two decisive matches. She ended the Final Four with a first title and individual recognition, as part of a collective success that lifted VakıfBank’s European total to seven.
A volleyball. Archive image illustrating the equipment used in the sport.
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