# VakıfBank S.K.

VakıfBank Sports Club (Turkish: VakıfBank Spor Kulübü) is a Turkish professional volleyball club based in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1986, VakıfBank SK is currently one of the best women's volleyball teams in the world, having won the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship a record four times and the European Champions League six times to date.
From 23 October 2012 to 22 January 2014, the team held a 73-games winning streak in all official domestic and international competitions, which was acknowledged as a world record by Guinness World Records. The club won all 52 official games played during the 2012–13 season and all 51 official games played in 2013. VakıfBank collected all five championship trophies unbeaten in the 2012–13 season, being the only club in volleyball history to have achieved this unparalleled feat.

## History

The team was established following a merger between two separate teams: VakıfBank and Güneş Sigorta. VakıfBank were originally an Ankara-based team but moved to Istanbul after the merger. Their name changed to VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta, VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom (VGSTT), VakıfBank Türk Telekom and VakıfBank respectively.
VakıfBank won three unbeaten CEV Champions League championships in 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018, and are the only unbeaten champions in European Champions League history. They also placed second in 1998 and 1999 in this competition. They won the 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2021 Club World Championship, the CEV Top Teams Cup in 2004 and CEV Challenge Cup in 2008 while finishing second in the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in 2011 and third in the European Confederation Cup of 2000.
The team is coached by Italian Giovanni Guidetti since 2008. VakıfBank won 47 games of 47 in the 2012–13 season in all competitions including the European Champions League (12 games), Turkish League (29 games), and Turkish Cup (6 games). After that season, they kept most of the players and coaching staff for the 2013–14 season with little changes: Jelena Nikolic, who took a break volleyball for one year, came back to the team and Italian international Carolina Costagrande transfers from Chinese club Guangdong Evergrande V.C. instead of Polish spiker Malgorzata Glinka and Japanese Saori Kimura. Glinka left the team after three great seasons and moved to her home country for familial reasons.
From 23 October 2012 to 22 January 2014, VakıfBank won 73 consecutive victories in all official competitions, which was acknowledged as a world record by Guinness World Records. During this feat the team won an unprecedented 5 trophies including the Club World Championship, European Champions League, and the domestic treble consisting of the Turkish National League, Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup. Their streak was finally ended on 27 January 2014 in a game against rivals Fenerbahçe.

## Venue

Since 2016, the club has played home matches at the VakıfBank Sports Palace (Turkish: VakıfBank Spor Sarayı) in Istanbul. The venue has a capacity of 2,000 spectators.

## Current roster

VakifBank S.K. for season 2024/2025.
| No. | Player | Date of birth | Height (m) | Position | Country |
| 1 | Ali Frantti | 3 March 1996 | 1.85 | Outside hitter | United States |
| 3 | Cansu Özbay | 17 October 1996 | 1.82 | Setter | Turkey |
| 4 | Ilayda Naz Gergef | 2 January 2006 | 1.74 | Libero | Turkey |
| 5 | Ayça Aykaç | 27 February 1996 | 1.76 | Libero | Turkey |
| 7 | Kiera Van Ryk | 6 January 1999 | 1.88 | Opposite hitter | Canada |
| 9 | Caterina Bosetti | 2 February 1994 | 1.80 | Outside Hitter | Italy |
| 10 | Kendall Kipp | 12 December 2000 | 1.98 | Opposite hitter | United States |
| 11 | Sıla Çalışkan | 16 December 1996 | 1.83 | Setter | Turkey |
| 12 | Yuan Xinyue | 21 December 1996 | 2.03 | Middle Blocker | China |
| 15 | Deniz Uyanık | 25 June 2001 | 1.95 | Middle blocker | Turkey |
| 16 | Aylin Sarıoğlu | 21 July 1995 | 1.68 | Libero | Turkey |
| 17 | Derya Cebecioğlu | 24 October 2000 | 1.82 | Outside hitter | Turkey |
| 18 | Zehra Güneş (c) | 7 July 1999 | 1.97 | Middle blocker | Turkey |
| 21 | Bahar Akbay | 21 January 1998 | 1.96 | Middle blocker | Turkey |
| 22 | Selin Yener | 28 July 2009 | 1.77 | Setter | Turkey |
| 23 | Marina Markova | 27 January 2001 | 1.99 | Outside hitter | Russia |

## Honours
### International competitions

* FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship
** Winners (4): 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021
** Runners-up (3): 2011, 2022, 2023
** Third place (2): 2016, 2019
* CEV Champions League
** Winners (6): 2010–11, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2022–23
** Runners-up (5): 1998, 1999, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2020–21
** Third place (1): 2014–15
* CEV Cup
** Winners (1): 2004
* CEV Challenge Cup
** Winners (1): 2008
* Women's Top Volley International
** Winners (1): 2008

### Domestic competitions

* Turkish Women's Volleyball League
** Winners (13): 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
* Turkish Cup
** Winners (9): 1995, 1997, 1998, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
* Turkish Super Cup
** Winners (5): 2013, 2014, 2017, 2021, 2023
** Runners-up (5): 2010, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022

## Season by season

| Season | League | Pos. | Turkish Cup | Turkish Super Cup | European competitions | European competitions | Worldwide competitions | Worldwide competitions |
| 2015–16 | TWVL | 1st | | Runners-up | CEV Champions League | Runners-up | FIVB Women's CWC | |
| 2016–17 | TWVL | 3rd | Runners-up | | CEV Champions League | C | FIVB Women's CWC | 3rd |
| 2017–18 | TWVL | 1st | Champions | Champions | CEV Champions League | C | FIVB Women's CWC | C |
| 2018–19 | TWVL | 1st | 3rd | Runners-up | CEV Champions League | 3rd | FIVB Women's CWC | C |
| 2019–20 | TWVL | | | Runners-up | CEV Champions League | | FIVB Women's CWC | C |
| 2020–21 | TWVL | 1st | Champions | Runners-up | CEV Champions League | RU | |
| 2021–22 | TWVL | 1st | Champions | Champions | CEV Champions League | C | FIVB Women's CWC | C |
| 2022–23 | TWVL | | | Runners-up | CEV Champions League | | FIVB Women's CWC | RU |

## Previous names

* 1986–1999: Güneş Sigorta
* 1999–2009: VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta
* 2009–2011: VakıfBank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom
* 2011–2012: VakıfBank Türk Telekom
* 2012–present: VakıfBank

## Notable players

* Criteria
* To appear in this section a player must have either:
* Played at least one season for the club.
* Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
* Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
* To perform very successfully during period in the club or at later/previous stages of her career.
Players written in italic still play for the club.