There was a lot to witness in Pool A of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women on Wednesday night. VakifBank ISTANBUL remain undefeated after storming to a 3-0 victory over Allianz MTV STUTTGART, much to the disappointment of a sell-out crowd of 2,251 fans at SCHARRena.
Allianz MTV STUTTGART (GER) vs. VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR) 0-3 (23-25, 18-25, 18-25)
• Both teams start nervous and had to adjust to the unbelievable atmosphere with 2,251 spectators in attendance – a sold-out #CLVolleyW match in the SCHARRena, for the first time ever for Allianz MTV STUTTGART in any CEV competition.
• VakifBank played on a different level in blocking and service, but in terms of fighting, the home team could easily compete with the back-to-back Champions League winners, who took the lead after a close first set.
• Although the Turkish team had a quick lead in the second, Allianz came back, but VakifBank closed the set with a 25-18 win.
• The hosts had more problems to cope with in the third part of the game, especially in reception. Thanks to their experience, VakifBank remained undefeated after earning a well-deserved victory.
Giannis Athanasopoulos, head coach of Allianz MTV STUTTGART: “We had a lot of problems in reception and as a result, we could not keep up. We played against one of the best defensive teams in the world. In a situation like this, you cannot do much, especially if you struggle with the reception. We tried to take more risks with our serving game but we did not quite succeed with that.”
Deborah van Daelen, team captain of Allianz MTV STUTTGART: “We played great in the first set, especially in defence. Later on, we lost power in our service so it was natural that we would lose.”
Giovanni Guidetti, head coach of VakifBank ISTANBUL: “We played very well today. I think that our block and defence made the difference, and our opponent did not quite find their rhythm. We also played nearly without Zhu Ting, so they should have had it easier. However, it was a very nice atmosphere and the crowd was great.”
Lonneke Slöetjes, player of VakifBank ISTANBUL: “Because of the atmosphere, we could not even understand each other during the first set. It was so loud but I enjoyed playing here very much. After the first set, the following ones went easier for us.”
Within the next seven days, the match is available as Video on Demand on SWR Sport Mediathek.
