VakıfBank Women opened their Sultanlar Ligi Women campaign — or their latest home fixture in it — with a composed 3-1 victory over Beşiktaş Women at a buzzing Istanbul hall, closing out the match in four sets after dropping a tight second. The defending powerhouses won 25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, a scoreline that flattered the visitors only briefly and underlined the gap in depth between the two squads once the home side found their rhythm at the net.

The result gives VakıfBank three points and a positive start to their league schedule, while Beşiktaş leave with a performance that showed real attacking promise but too many unforced errors in the decisive phases of sets three and four.

Match Overview

Played on 3 October 2026 with a 19:00 first serve, the derby carried the usual Istanbul rivalry weight. VakıfBank came in as favourites on paper, and for long stretches they looked it: aggressive serving, a well-organised block and a setter who kept finding one-on-one situations for her outside hitters. Beşiktaş, though, refused to be swept, taking the second set with a late surge and briefly putting the home crowd on edge.

Set-by-Set: How VakıfBank Took Control

First set (25-21): VakıfBank started with intent, pressuring the Beşiktaş reception with deep float serves and converting transition balls through the middle. A four-point run at 15-14 gave them the cushion they needed, and a block on the right side closed it out.

Second set (22-25): The visitors produced their best volleyball of the night. Beşiktaş's serving became more aggressive, forcing VakıfBank into predictable first-ball situations, and their opposite hitter found the line repeatedly in the back court. A late ace sealed a deserved set and levelled the match.

Third set (25-18): The response was emphatic. VakıfBank tightened their block-defence coordination, turned several Beşiktaş attacks into counter-attack points and raced into a double-digit lead. The set was effectively decided before the second technical timeout.

Fourth set (25-19): Beşiktaş hung around to 12-12, but VakıfBank's serving pressure told again. Two aces in a three-point sequence broke the set open, and the home side closed it out with clinical efficiency from the wings.

Key Moments

• Mid-first-set block: A momentum-swinging stuff block at 15-14 set the tone for VakıfBank's control of the opening set.
• Beşiktaş's late ace in the second: The visitors' best moment, capping a run of brave serving that levelled the match at 1-1.
• The third-set break: A five-point serving run turned 9-8 into 14-8 and effectively ended Beşiktaş's resistance.
• Fourth-set finish: Back-to-back aces at 15-13 gave VakıfBank the breathing room to close the match without drama.

Tactical Story

The match turned on serve and reception. VakıfBank's game plan was clear: serve Beşiktaş off the net, then trust the block to do the rest. Once the home side's serving found its range in sets three and four, Beşiktaş were reduced to high, predictable balls to the wings — exactly the situation a defence of VakıfBank's quality wants.

Beşiktaş's coaching staff will take encouragement from their second-set blueprint. When they kept the ball in play and attacked with variety — mixing quick sets to the middle with back-row attacks — they caused genuine problems. The issue was sustaining it. Their error count climbed sharply in the third and fourth sets, particularly on the service line, where risk-taking turned into free points for the opposition.

Standout Players

VakıfBank: The setter dictated the tempo after the interval, spreading the attack across all positions and repeatedly isolating her middle blockers against a single blocker. Zehra Güneş's presence at the net was a constant deterrent, contributing key blocks in the first and third sets, while the outside hitters carried the scoring load in the closing stages. The libero's defensive reads in the back court kept several rallies alive that had no business being won.

Beşiktaş: Their opposite hitter was the standout performer of the night in a losing cause, scoring consistently from the right side and giving the VakıfBank block real problems in the second set. The libero also impressed, absorbing heavy serving pressure and keeping her side in