Fenerbahçe S.K. (women's volleyball)

Fenerbahçe Women's Volleyball, commonly known as Fenerbahçe, are the professional women's volleyball department of Fenerbahçe SK, a major Turkish multi-sport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. They play their matches at the 7.000-seated Burhan Felek Sport Hall. Fenerbahçe compete in the Turkish Women's Volleyball League, which is considered to be one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world.

Fenerbahçe
Full nameFenerbahçe Spor Kulübü
Short nameFB
NicknameSarı Melekler (The Yellow Angels)
Fener
Founded1928 (closed due to lack of opponents)
1954
GroundBurhan Felek Sport Hall
(Capacity: 7,000)
ChairmanTurkey Ali Koç
ManagerItaly Marco Fenoglio
CaptainTurkey Eda Erdem Dündar
LeagueSultanlar Ligi
CEV Champions League
2023–24Champion
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away
Championships
1 World Championship
1 European Championship
1 CEV Cup
15 Turkish Championships
4 Turkish Cups
4 Turkish Super Cups

Founded in 1928, Fenerbahçe are one of the best volleyball teams in Turkey and in the world. They were crowned World Champions by winning the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship undefeated in 2010, thus achieving the first Intercontinental Quadruple ever in Turkish volleyball history, after having won the Turkish League, Turkish Cup, and the Turkish Super Cup in 2010.[1] Fenerbahçe became the first Turkish team to claim a World Championship title. After being runners-up in the CEV Champions League in 2010, Fenerbahçe finally were crowned European Champions in the 2011–12 season after defeating French powerhouse RC Cannes in three straight sets (25–14, 25–22, and 25–20) in the final game.[2] The club also reached the third place of the Champions League twice, in the 2010–11 and 2015–16 seasons.

Fenerbahçe also won the CEV Cup by defeating Russia's Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg 3–0 (25-11, 28-26, 25-22) in the 2014 finals in front of their passionate home crowd, thus writing volleyball history as the men's team won another continental title, the CEV Challenge Cup, the very same day.[3][4] By achieving this unparalleled feat, Fenerbahçe became the first and only sports club in Turkey and one of a few in Europe with European titles won in both the men's and women's volleyball departments.

In Turkey the club have won 15 Turkish Championship titles (7 in the current Turkish Women's Volleyball League and 8 in the former Turkish Women's Volleyball Championship), 4 Turkish Cups, and 4 Turkish Super Cups, among others.

Previous names

  • Fenerbahçe (1928, 1954–2007)
  • Fenerbahçe Acıbadem (2007–2011)
  • Fenerbahçe Universal (2011–2012)
  • Fenerbahçe (2012–2014)
  • Fenerbahçe Grundig (2014–2016)
  • Fenerbahçe (2016–2018)
  • Fenerbahçe Opet (2018–present)

History

The women's volleyball department was founded in 1928 by Sabiha Gürayman who, as a young woman, played for the club's men's volleyball team, and was the first woman architect in Turkey. However, the section was closed due to lack of opponents. In 1954, a new era started with assistance from Çamlıca Girls' High School (tr). Starting in 1958, the girls won eight Turkish Championships among many other titles. In 1977, the department was closed again until 1989, this time due to insufficient funds. In 1993, the team was promoted from the Istanbul First League to the Turkish Second League. The following year, they played in the Turkish First League. However, they were relegated to the Turkish Second League in the 1995–96 season.[citation needed]

Fenerbahçe returned to the Turkish First League in the 2002–03 season, and were runners-up in the 2006–07 season. The senior team was renamed as Fenerbahçe Acıbadem due to a sponsorship agreement with the Acıbadem Healthcare Group from 2007 to 2011. The Yellow Angels were runners-up after Eczacıbaşı SK in the 2007–08 season, too. They gained the ninth Turkish title in their history in the 2008–09 season, after defeating their archrivals Eczacıbaşı SK in the finals (3–2, 0–3, 3–1, 3–1), which was their first ever title in the league's current format that had started with the 1984–85 season.[citation needed]

Fenerbahçe's women's team shone in the 2009–10 season as the Yellow Angels finished the first round of the 2009–10 Turkish League undefeated in 22 matches (setting a 66:2 set ratio record), and reached the Final Four of the 2009–10 CEV Women's Champions League undefeated. The team then beat the host team RC Cannes in a thrilling five-setter, but eventually lost to Volley Bergamo in five sets in the final, even though they came back after falling two sets down: 22–25, 21–25, 25–22, 25–20, 9–15. Yekaterina Gamova was named the best scorer and Nataša Osmokrović was chosen the best server of the tournament.[5]

The star-studded team of Fenerbahçe were on top of the world on 21 December 2010 in Doha, Qatar after beating South American titleholders Sollys Osasco 3–0 (25–23, 25–22, 25–17) to become the first team in 16 years to claim the 2010 FIVB Women's Club World Championship[6] where Katarzyna Skowrońska was named the MVP and Best Scorer, while Eda Erdem Dündar was the Best Server.

In 2011, Fenerbahçe SK organized the Champions League Final Four in the Burhan Felek Sports Hall in Istanbul, however, in the semi-final the Yellow Angels lost to Turkish rivals Vakıfbank in a heart-breaking five setter (25–19, 21–25, 25–21, 19–25, 11–15), and lost the chance to be the very first team in Turkish volleyball history to win the Champions League title. The Yellow Angels settled for the third place after beating Scavolini Pesaro in four sets (14–25, 25–21, 25–21, 25–21), thanks to the national heroines Seda Tokatlıoğlu, Naz Aydemir and Eda Erdem Dündar.

In 2012 the club won the CEV Volleyball Champions League, which was organized in Baku on 24–25 March 2012, having defeated French powerhouse RC Cannes in the final in three straight sets (25–14, 25–22, and 25–20). Kim won the MVP award and the Best Scorer award, while Naz Aydemir was named the Best Setter.[7]

Honours

Worldwide competitions

European competitions

Domestic competitions

Team roster

Season 2024–2025

No.PlayerPositionDate of BirthHeight (m)Country
1Gizem ÖrgeLibero (1993-04-26) 26 April 1993 (age 31)1.70  Turkey
3Magdalena StysiakOpposite (2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 23)2.03  Poland
6Ada GermenLibero (1997-06-24) 24 June 1997 (age 26)1.84  Turkey
7Cansu ÇetinOutside hitter (1993-05-26) 26 May 1993 (age 30)1.83  Turkey
8Aslı KalaçMiddle blocker (1995-12-13) 13 December 1995 (age 28)1.83  Turkey
9Meliha İsmailoğluOutside hitter (1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 (age 30)1.88  Turkey
12Ana Cristina de SouzaOutside hitter (2004-04-07) 7 April 2004 (age 20)1.93  Brazil
14Eda Erdem Dündar (c)Middle blocker (1987-06-22) 22 June 1987 (age 36)1.88  Turkey
17Bojana DrčaSetter (1988-03-29) 29 March 1988 (age 36)1.86  Serbia
44Melissa VargasOpposite (1999-10-16) 16 October 1999 (age 24)1.93  Turkey
Arelya Karasoy KoçaşSetter (1996-12-14) 14 December 1996 (age 27)1.82  Turkey
Dicle Nur BabatMiddle blocker (1992-09-15) 15 September 1992 (age 31)1.91  Turkey
Hristina RusevaMiddle blocker (1991-10-01) 1 October 1991 (age 32)1.92  Bulgaria

Season by season

SeasonLeaguePos.Turkish CupTurkish Super CupEuropean competitionsWorldwide competitions
2007-08TWVL2ndNot heldCEV Champions LeagueRS
2008–09TWVL1stRunners-upCEV Cup3rd
2009–10TWVL1stChampionsChampionsCEV Champions LeagueRU
2010–11TWVL1stRunners-upChampionsCEV Champions League3rdFIVB Women's CWCC
2011–12TWVL3rdRunners-upCEV Champions LeagueC
2012–13TWVL3rdCEV CupRUFIVB Women's CWC3rd
2013–14TWVL2ndRunners-upCEV CupC
2014–15TWVL1stChampionsRunners-upCEV Champions LeagueQF
2015–16TWVL2ndNot heldChampionsCEV Champions League3rd
2016–17TWVL1stChampionsNot heldCEV Champions LeagueQF
2017–18TWVL3rdSemi finalsRunners-upCEV Champions LeagueRS
2018–19TWVL3rdRunners-upCEV Champions LeagueSF
2019–20TWVLCEV Champions League
2020–21TWVL2ndSemi finalsCEV Champions LeagueSF
2021–22TWVL2ndRunners-upCEV Champions League3rdFIVB Women's CWC3rd
2022–23TWVL1stRunners-upChampionsCEV Champions League3rd
2023–24TWVL1stChampionsRunners-upCEV Champions League3rd

Home halls

This is a list of the home halls the senior team played at in the recent years.

#HallPeriod
1Burhan Felek Sport Hall2004–2007
2Caferağa Sport HallHaldun Alagaş Sports Hall12007–2008
350th Anniversary Sport Hall2008–2010
4Burhan Felek Sports Hall2010–
5Ülker Sports Arena2015–

1 CEV Champions League games only.

Notable players

Players written in italic still play for the club.

Sponsorship and kit manufacturers

1 Main sponsorship2 Back sponsorship3 Lateral sponsorship4 Short sponsorship

PeriodKit manufacturers
2000–2018Fenerium
2018–2022Bilcee
2022–Joma

See also

References

External links