Lausanne, Switzerland, March 28, 2018 – Preparing for the women’s national team season, Turkey announced a 29-strong squad which will train under head coach Giovanni Guidetti to participate in a number of competitions in the months ahead.
In addition to qualifying for the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Japan, Turkey are among the 16 squads to play in the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Nations League. The Turks have planned out an intensive schedule of tournaments and camps for the period between these two key competitions, providing for a season so busy that coach Guidetti will have to rely on a large pool of players.
In the Volleyball Nations League, which will take place from May 15 through to July 1, Turkey will travel to the United States for the first week, host a second-week tournament in Ankara, travel to Serbia, Thailand and Germany, in that order, for the remaining three weeks, and possibly to China for the finals.
From June 22 through to July 1, the Turkish national team will take part in the Mediterranean Games. This year, the quadrennial multi-sport event will be held in Spain.
Preparation for the World Championship is set to start on July 24, with friendly matches against Canada scheduled for the period from August 18 to 21. After that Turkey will entertain Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia for the Gloria Cup tournament to be held in Antalya. After a training camp on the Italian Adriatic coast, Giovanni Guidetti’s squad will then play at the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland to be held from September 4 to 9 taking on the likes of Brazil and China.
The World Championship in Japan is scheduled to take place from September 29 through to October 20. In the first stage of the FIVB’s flagship event, Turkey will play in Pool B, racing with Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba and Italy for advancement to the next rounds.
“We want to progress step by step and, of course, our goal is to get the best results by fighting the best. I think everyone will be working in this direction and we will get results that will make us proud again,” said Kurtaran Mumcu of the Turkish Volleyball Federation.
The complete list of 29 players in head coach Giovanni Guidetti’s squad reads as follows:
Setters: Naz Aydemir Akyol (VakifBank Istanbul), Gamze Alikaya (Galatasaray Istanbul), Buse Unal (Manisa BBSK), Aslihan Kiluc (Halkbank Ankara), Cansu Ozbay (VakifBank Istanbul)
Opposites: Neslihan Demir Guler (Galatasaray Istanbul), Ceren Kestirengoz (Kameroglu Beylikduzu Voleybol Ihtisas), Meryem Boz (Seramiksan Spor Turgutlu), Ebrar Karakurt (VakifBank Istanbul), Hande Baladin (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul)
Outside hitters: Gozde Kirdar (VakifBank Istanbul), Neriman Ozsoy (Toyota Auto Body Queenseis Kariya, Japan), Fulden Ural (Halkbank Ankara), Meliha Ismailoglu (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul), Seyma Ercan (Besiktas Istanbul), Saliha Sahin (Karayollari Ankara), Tugba Senoglu (VakifBank Istanbul), Yagmur Mislina Kilic (THY Istanbul), Ilkin Aydin (Galatasaray Istanbul)
Middle blockers: Eda Erdem Dundar (Fenerbahce Istanbul), Kubra Caliskan (VakifBank Istanbul), Beyza Arici (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul), Zehra Gunes (VakifBank Istanbul), Yasemin Guveli (Karayollari Ankara), Asli Kalac (Galatasaray Istanbul)
Liberos: Hatice Gizem Orge (VakifBank Istanbul), Sebnem Simge Akoz (Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul), Aylin Sarioglu (Bursa BBSK), Melisa Memis (Kameroglu Beylikduzu Voleybol Ihtisas)