Eczacıbaşı VitrA


Eczacıbaşı VitrA is the women's volleyball department of Eczacıbaşı S.K., a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, Turkey. The team plays its home matches at the Eczacıbaşı Spor Salonu hall in Istanbul. Eczacıbaşı has won a record 17 Turkish League titles and a record nine Turkish Cups, amongst others. In the 2014–15 season they won the CEV Champions League and that gave them the ticket to capture the 2015 FIVB World Club Championship in Zürich, a year later the club became the first club in the world to win the FIVB World Club Championship back-to-back by defending their crown in the Philippines during the 2016 FIVB World Club Championship in Manila. Eczacıbaşı VitrA is the most successful Turkish volleyball club with 28 national championship titles overall since the introduction of a national league in 1956.

History

The club has invested in women's volleyball for approximately 40 years and has pioneered for Turkish women's volleyball. The team plays in the CEV Champions League regularly.

The international achievements of Eczacıbaşı have set an example for Turkish volleyball and contributed to the success of the Turkish National Women's Volleyball Team. With its systematic and modern approach to the sport and close to 40 years' experience, Eczacıbaşı is one of the most highly respected volleyball clubs in Europe.
Eczacıbaşı women's volleyball team won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1999. The club also finished 2nd in the European Champion Clubs' Cup of 1980 and the CEV Cup of 1993; 3rd in the European Champion Clubs' Cup of 2000 and the Top Teams Cup of 2005; and 4th in the European Champion Clubs' Cup of 1984 and the Champions' League of 2001 and 2002; in the season 2014–15 won the CEV Champions League and the 2015 FIVB World Club Championship in Zürich, and a year later the club became won the FIVB World Club Championship back-to-back by defending their crown during the 2016 FIVB World Club Championship in Manila, becoming the first club in volleyball history to achieve this outstanding feat.
Eczacıbaşı has won more national championships than any other women's volleyball team in Turkey, with 28 Turkish League Championships under its belt since it entered the league in 1968. In the 1972–1973 season, the team began to set its first record of consecutive wins, winning 17 Turkish League titles in a row. It repeated this performance another five years between 1999 and 2003, when it also won five Turkish Cups.
Over the years, Eczacıbaşı has worked with many internationally renowned players, such as Irina Ilchenko, Lioubov Chachkova, Yelena Godina, Antonina Zetova, Yevgeniya Artamonova, Tatyana Gracheva, Barbara Ružić, Antonella Del Core, Mirka Francia, Neslihan Darnel, Jordan Larson, Esra Gümüş and Gülden Kayalar. The team is managed by Italian coach Massimo Barbolini.

Team roster 2019–20

No.PlayerPositionDate of BirthHeight Country
2Buse Melis KaraLibero30 August 19981.77
3Tijana BoškovićOpposite Hitter8 March 19971.93
4Beyza ArıcıMiddle Blocker27 July 19951.92
5Simge AközLibero23 April 19911.68
6Lauren GibbemeyerMiddle Blocker8 September 19881.87
7Hande BaladınOutside Spiker1 September 19971.89
8Yasemin GüveliMiddle Blocker5 January 19991.88
10Kim Yeon-koung Outside Hitter26 February 19881.92
11Gamze AlikayaSetter1 January 19931.79
12Natália PereiraOutside Hitter04 April 19891.83
13Carli LloydSetter6 August 19891.80
14Melis DurulOpposite Hitter23 October 19931.85
15Ergül AvcıMiddle Blocker24 July 19891.90
16Saliha SahinOutside Hitter23 October 19931.85

Technical staff

As of 25 March 2017
CountryNamePosition
Nalan UralTeam Manager
Marco Aurélio MottaHead Coach
Riccardo TonFitness Coach
Alper HamurcuAssistant Coach
Yunus ÖçalAssistant Coach
Seçkin PişkinPhysiotherapist
Gianluca GrilliPhysiotherapist
Ömer Can KüçükaslanAssistant Coach
Fedor KuzinAssistant Coach
Artun AksanStatistician
Sedat Tolga AydoğDoctor
Ali DemircanHealth Care Coordinator

Honours

International competitions