When the 2016 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship was advertised as the tournament of stars, Eczasibasi VitrA Istanbul were the team that is on the marquee. Featuring six Olympians in their main rotation, the most successful club in Turkey has enough talent to win gold in the Olympics if they entered as a team.
19-year old Serbian wunderkind Tijana Boskovic has been on a tear since the start of the tournament. Leading Serbia to a surprising silver-medal finish in the 2016 Olympics, she is tagged as the future face of world volleyball.
Flanking her in the lineup is Brazilian two-time Olympic gold medalist Thaisa Meneses, Team USA mainstays Rachel Adams and Jordan Larson, Russian firecracker Tatiana Kosheleva, and Serbian setter Maja Ogjenovic.
Host team F2 Logistics-PSL Manila stands in their way. At stake for Eczasibasi is the top spot in Group A.
“We definitely want to finish in the top of our group for momentum and so that we do not need to think of what happens in our group and prepare for whoever we play in the semifinals,” said Eczasibasi head coach Massimo Barboulini.
“It’s always tough to play the home team with the crowd and home advantage. But my team is getting better and I hope we can continue to get better against the Philippine team.”
At stake for the Philippines is pride and history.
A team composed of Filipinos has never faced a team with such star power.
If the locals can show their toughness against one of the best teams ever assembled, PSL would achieve what they set out to do: inspire the locals and future generation of players.
“Wala na lang sigurong pressure sa amin. Basta i-enjoy lang namin at mapakita na kaya namin sumabay sa kanila,” said PSL skipper Rachel Daquis.
“I feel that Eczasibasi will make the Finals of this tournament,” added PSL head coach Moro Branislav. “I hope we can perform good because that will be good for Philippine volleyball.”
PSL-F2 Logistics will likely succumb to the high-powered Eczasibasi VitrA side. But they will give it their all and fight until the very end.
