Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul and VakifBank Istanbul rivalry is one of the three featured in the 11th edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in Kobe
Kobe, Japan, May 6, 2017 – League rivals from Japan, Brazil and Turkey will surface together for the first time in the history of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.
The eight teams were split into two pools of four. Teams from the same leagues were kept apart by the draw for the preliminary round.
Pool A includes Hisamitsu Springs of Japan, Rexona-SESC Rio of Brazil, VakifBank Istanbul of Turkey and Dinamo Moscow of Russia.
Pool B includes Volero Zurich of Switzerland, NEC Red Rockets of Japan, Osasco Volei Clube of Brazil and Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul of Turkey.
Fans will certainly be treated to an entertaining display of great plays from the best club teams in the world as early as the preliminary round, but can also look forward to the possibility of familiar league derbies later in the tournament.
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Latest VideosFacebookTwitterInstagramMedia GuidesJapanese DerbyHisamitsu Springs and NEC Red Rockets have faced each other in the last five editions of the Japan’s V.Premier League finals. Hisamitsu Springs have won three titles, while NEC Red Rockets have won two, including the 2016/2017 title.
Hisamitsu Springs will be playing in their fourth consecutive Women’s Club World Championship this year, after fifth-place finishes in 2014 and 2015 in Zurich and sixth in Manila 2016; while NEC Red Rockets will make their first ever appearance in the tournament.
The two Japanese clubs are expected to showcase their quick offence and excellent defence. Hisamitsu will begin their five-day home stand on May 9 against Rexona-SESC Rio in Pool A, while NEC Red Rockets will make their tournament debut against Osasco Volei Clube in Pool B.
Brazilian DerbyRio de Janeiro-based Rexona-SESC and Sao Paulo-based Osasco Volei Club have a long-standing rivalry in the Brazilian Superliga. The two clubs have played each other 11 times in the finals, but Rexona-SESC have reigned supreme in their rivalry with eight titles.
In their latest encounter, Rexona-SESC delighted their home fans as they prevailed in an epic five-set clash with Volei Osasco Clube 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-6).
Rexona-SESC will be competing in the 2017 Women’s Club World Championship for the fourth time, after a silver medal finish in 2013 and a fourth place finish in 2015 in Zurich, and a fifth place finish last year in Manila.
Osasco Volei Clube will return to the Club World Championship after missing the last two editions. They will make their sixth appearance following five successful podium finishes in every single one of their previous excursions.
Turkish DerbyThe rivalry between Eczacibasi and VakifBank in recent domestic and continental match-ups has been quite a spectacle, as both squads have star-studded starting units that have provided a lot of memorable plays in club volleyball history.
Eczacibasi have shown dominance since they first joined the Club World Championship, winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. However, VakifBank have been prolific in their recent performances, showing their guts to chase the title from their Turkish rivals.
The defending champions will make their third consecutive appearance with an almost intact line-up, while VakifBank will make their fourth appearance with a solid roster led by Chinese scoring sensation Zhu Ting.
Meanwhile, Dinamo Moscow and Volero Zurich are not to be overshadowed by these rivalries as they also carry strong arsenals that could post huge upsets in the competition.