Thaisa Menezes in Minsk Wednesday night for Eczacibasi VitrA's clash against Minchanka Minsk for the European Champions League.
Lausanne, Switzerland, November 16, 2016 - All the international stars of reigning FIVB club world champions Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul were on board Tuesday night as the Turkish club inched closer to a berth in the 2016-17 European Champions League pools - where the race for Kobe and the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship will begin in earnest.
USA's Jordan Larson (15), Russia's Tatiana Kosheleva (14), Brazil's Thaisa Menezes (12) and USA's Rachel Adams (12) all scored in double digits as Eczacibasi scored a 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-11, 25-19) away win over Minchanka in Minsk that gives them a solid advantage ahead of the return leg on Saturday in Istanbul.
Should Eczacibasi qualify for the pools phase of the Champions League, they will set up a clash against crosstown archrivals VakifBank Istanbul in Pool D, which also features Germany's Dresdner SC and Russia's Uralochka-NTMK of Ekaterinburg.
Istanbul archrivals Eczacibasi and VakifBank last met in the semifinals of the 2016 FIVB Club World Championship in Manila.
Eczacibasi beat VakifBank last month in four sets in the semifinals of the FIVB Club World Championship in Manila.
The European champions will join Japanese sides hosts Hisamitsu Springs of Kobe and reigning Asian champions NEC Red Rockets, plus five more teams yet to be determined in the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship, from May 8-14.
Quick links - FIVB:FIVB in RioCEV Congress