Fenerbahçe S.K. (women's volleyball)

For the parent multi-sport club, see Fenerbahçe S.K.

Fenerbahçe Women's Volleyball, commonly known as Fenerbahçe and officially known as Fenerbahçe Medicana for commercial reasons, are the professional women's volleyball department of Fenerbahçe SK, a major Turkish multi-sport club based in Istanbul, Turkey. They play their matches at the 7.000-seated Burhan Felek Sport Hall. Fenerbahçe compete in the Turkish Women's Volleyball League, which is considered to be one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world.

Fenerbahçe

Full name	Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü
Short name	FB
Nickname	Sarı Melekler (The Yellow Angels) Fener
Founded	1928 (closed due to lack of opponents) 1954
Ground	Burhan Felek Sport Hall (Capacity: 7,000)
Chairman	Ali Koç
Manager	Marco Fenoglio
Captain	Eda Erdem Dündar
League	Sultanlar Ligi CEV Champions League
2023–24	Champion
Website	Club home page
Uniforms
Home Away
Championships
1 World Championship 1 European Championship 1 CEV Cup 15 Turkish Championships 4 Turkish Cups 5 Turkish Super Cups

Founded in 1928, Fenerbahçe are one of the best volleyball teams in Turkey and in the world. They were crowned World Champions by winning the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship undefeated in 2010, thus achieving the first Intercontinental Quadruple ever in Turkish volleyball history, after having won the Turkish League, Turkish Cup, and the Turkish Super Cup in 2010.^[1] Fenerbahçe became the first Turkish team to claim a World Championship title. After being runners-up in the CEV Champions League in 2010, Fenerbahçe finally were crowned European Champions in the 2011–12 season after defeating French powerhouse RC Cannes in three straight sets (25–14, 25–22, and 25–20) in the final game.^[2] The club also reached the third place of the Champions League twice, in the 2010–11 and 2015–16 seasons.

Fenerbahçe also won the CEV Cup by defeating Russia's Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg 3–0 (25-11, 28-26, 25-22) in the 2014 finals in front of their passionate home crowd, thus writing volleyball history as the men's team won another continental title, the CEV Challenge Cup, the very same day.^[3][4] By achieving this unparalleled feat, Fenerbahçe became the first and only sports club in Turkey and one of a few in Europe with European titles won in both the men's and women's volleyball departments.

In Turkey the club have won 15 Turkish Championship titles (7 in the current Turkish Women's Volleyball League and 8 in the former Turkish Women's Volleyball Championship), 4 Turkish Cups, and 5 Turkish Super Cups, among others.

Previous names

• Fenerbahçe (1928, 1954–2007)
• Fenerbahçe Acıbadem (2007–2011)
• Fenerbahçe Universal (2011–2012)
• Fenerbahçe (2012–2014)
• Fenerbahçe Grundig (2014–2016)
• Fenerbahçe (2016–2018)
• Fenerbahçe Opet (2018–2024)
• Fenerbahçe Medicana (2024–present)

History

The women's volleyball department was founded in 1928 by Sabiha Gürayman who, as a young woman, played for the club's men's volleyball team, and was the first woman architect in Turkey. However, the section was closed due to lack of opponents. In 1954, a new era started with assistance from Çamlıca Girls' High School (tr). Starting in 1958, the girls won eight Turkish Championships among many other titles. In 1977, the department was closed again until 1989, this time due to insufficient funds. In 1993, the team was promoted from the Istanbul First League to the Turkish Second League. The following year, they played in the Turkish First League. However, they were relegated to the Turkish Second League in the 1995–96 season.^{[citation needed]}

Fenerbahçe returned to the Turkish First League in the 2002–03 season, and were runners-up in the 2006–07 season. The senior team was renamed as Fenerbahçe Acıbadem due to a sponsorship agreement with the Acıbadem Healthcare Group from 2007 to 2011. The Yellow Angels were runners-up after Eczacıbaşı SK in the 2007–08 season, too. They gained the ninth Turkish title in their history in the 2008–09 season, after defeating their archrivals Eczacıbaşı SK in the finals (3–2, 0–3, 3–1, 3–1), which was their first ever title in the league's current format that had started with the 1984–85 season.^{[citation needed]}

Fenerbahçe's women's team shone in the 2009–10 season as the Yellow Angels finished the first round of the 2009–10 Turkish League undefeated in 22 matches (setting a 66:2 set ratio record), and reached the Final Four of the 2009–10 CEV Women's Champions League undefeated. The team then beat the host team RC Cannes in a thrilling five-setter, but eventually lost to Volley Bergamo in five sets in the final, even though they came back after falling two sets down: 22–25, 21–25, 25–22, 25–20, 9–15. Yekaterina Gamova was named the best scorer and Nataša Osmokrović was chosen the best server of the tournament.^[5]

The star-studded team of Fenerbahçe were on top of the world on 21 December 2010 in Doha, Qatar after beating South American titleholders Sollys Osasco 3–0 (25–23, 25–22, 25–17) to become the first team in 16 years to claim the 2010 FIVB Women's Club World Championship^[6] where Katarzyna Skowrońska was named the MVP and Best Scorer, while Eda Erdem Dündar was the Best Server.

In 2011, Fenerbahçe SK organized the Champions League Final Four in the Burhan Felek Sports Hall in Istanbul, however, in the semi-final the Yellow Angels lost to Turkish rivals Vakıfbank in a heart-breaking five setter (25–19, 21–25, 25–21, 19–25, 11–15), and lost the chance to be the very first team in Turkish volleyball history to win the Champions League title. The Yellow Angels settled for the third place after beating Scavolini Pesaro in four sets (14–25, 25–21, 25–21, 25–21), thanks to the national heroines Seda Tokatlıoğlu, Naz Aydemir and Eda Erdem Dündar.

In 2012 the club won the CEV Volleyball Champions League, which was organized in Baku on 24–25 March 2012, having defeated French powerhouse RC Cannes in the final in three straight sets (25–14, 25–22, and 25–20). Kim won the MVP award and the Best Scorer award, while Naz Aydemir was named the Best Setter.^[7]

Honours

Worldwide competitions

• FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship
  • Winners (1): 2010
  • Third place (2): 2012, 2021

European competitions

• CEV Champions League
  • Winners (1): 2011–12
  • Runners-up (1): 2009–10
  • Third place (6): 2010–11, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• CEV Cup
  • Winners (1): 2013–14
  • Runners-up (1): 2012–13
  • Third place (1): 2008–09

Domestic competitions

• Turkish Women's Volleyball League
  • Winners (7): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2022–23, 2023–24
  • Runners-up (6): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2020–21, 2021–22
  • Third place (4): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Turkish Women's Volleyball Championship
  • Winners (8): 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72
  • Runners-up (3): 1960–61, 1972–73, 1974–75
  • Third place (3): 1961–62, 1973–74, 1976–77
• Turkish Cup
  • Winners (4): 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2023–24
  • Runners-up (5): 2008–09, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
• Turkish Super Cup
  • Winners (5): 2009, 2010, 2015, 2022, 2024
  • Runners-up (4): 2011, 2014, 2017, 2023
• Turkish Federation Cup
  • Winners (2): 1959–60, 1976–77
  • Runners-up (1): 1965–66
• Istanbul Women's Volleyball League
  • Winners (11): 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73
  • Runners-up (5): 1959–60, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75
  • Third place (6): 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1976–77

Roster

Season 2024–2025

No.	Player	Position	Date of Birth	Height (m)	Country
1	Gizem Örge	Libero	(1993-04-26) 26 April 1993 (age 31)	1.70	Turkey
3	Magdalena Stysiak	Opposite	(2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 23)	2.03	Poland
5	Özlem Güven	Libero	(1997-10-01) 1 October 1997 (age 27)	1.65	Turkey
8	Aslı Kalaç	Middle blocker	(1995-12-13) 13 December 1995 (age 28)	1.83	Turkey
9	Meliha İsmailoğlu	Outside hitter	(1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 (age 31)	1.88	Turkey
11	Hristina Ruseva	Middle blocker	(1991-10-01) 1 October 1991 (age 33)	1.92	Bulgaria
12	Ana Cristina de Souza	Outside hitter	(2004-04-07) 7 April 2004 (age 20)	1.93	Brazil
14	Eda Erdem Dündar (c)	Middle blocker	(1987-06-22) 22 June 1987 (age 37)	1.88	Turkey
15	Arelya Karasoy Koçaş	Setter	(1996-12-14) 14 December 1996 (age 27)	1.82	Turkey
16	Elitsa Vasileva	Outside hitter	(1990-05-13) 13 May 1990 (age 34)	1.96	Bulgaria
17	Bojana Drča	Setter	(1988-03-29) 29 March 1988 (age 36)	1.86	Serbia
18	Dicle Nur Babat	Middle blocker	(1992-09-15) 15 September 1992 (age 32)	1.91	Turkey
41	Liza Safronova	Outside Hitter	(2006-01-17) 17 January 2006 (age 18)	1.90	Turkey
44	Melissa Vargas	Opposite	(1999-10-16) 16 October 1999 (age 25)	1.93	Turkey

Season by season

Season	League	Pos.	Turkish Cup	Turkish Super Cup	European competitions		Worldwide competitions
2007-08	TWVL	2nd	Not held		CEV Champions League	RS
2008–09	TWVL	1st	Runners-up		CEV Cup	3rd
2009–10	TWVL	1st	Champions	Champions	CEV Champions League	RU
2010–11	TWVL	1st	Runners-up	Champions	CEV Champions League	3rd	FIVB Women's CWC	C
2011–12	TWVL	3rd		Runners-up	CEV Champions League	C
2012–13	TWVL	3rd			CEV Cup	RU	FIVB Women's CWC	3rd
2013–14	TWVL	2nd	Runners-up		CEV Cup	C
2014–15	TWVL	1st	Champions	Runners-up	CEV Champions League	QF
2015–16	TWVL	2nd	Not held	Champions	CEV Champions League	3rd
2016–17	TWVL	1st	Champions	Not held	CEV Champions League	QF
2017–18	TWVL	3rd	Semi finals	Runners-up	CEV Champions League	RS
2018–19	TWVL	3rd	Runners-up		CEV Champions League	SF
2019–20	TWVL				CEV Champions League
2020–21	TWVL	2nd	Semi finals		CEV Champions League	SF
2021–22	TWVL	2nd	Runners-up		CEV Champions League	3rd	FIVB Women's CWC	3rd
2022–23	TWVL	1st	Runners-up	Champions	CEV Champions League	3rd
2023–24	TWVL	1st	Champions	Runners-up	CEV Champions League	3rd
2024–25	TWVL			Champions	CEV Champions League

Home halls

This is a list of the home halls the senior team played at in the recent years.

#	Hall	Period
1	Burhan Felek Sport Hall	2004–2007
2	Caferağa Sport Hall – Haldun Alagaş Sports Hall1	2007–2008
3	50th Anniversary Sport Hall	2008–2010
4	Burhan Felek Sports Hall	2010–
5	Ülker Sports Arena	2015–

¹ CEV Champions League games only.

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 his career.

Domestic Players  Turkey Elif Ağca Ergül Avcı Naz Aydemir Dicle Nur Babat Duygu Bal Meryem Boz Çiğdem Can Damla Çakıroğlu Derya Çayırgan Pelin Çelik Cansu Çetin Merve Dalbeler Gökçen Denkel Songül Dikmen Ezgi Dilik Şeyma Ercan Eda Erdem Seda Eryüz Nihan Güneyligil Gizem Güreşen Özlem Güven Meliha İsmailoğlu Diken Aslı Kalaç Nilay Karaağaç Arelya Karasoy Koçaş Ceren Kestirengöz Özge Kırdar Yağmur Koçyiğit Gizem Örge İpar Özay Kurt Aysun Özbek Özlem Özçelik Nilay Özdemir Liza Safronova İpek Soroğlu Seda Tokatlıoğlu Bahar Toksoy Polen Uslupehlivan Buse Ünal Melissa Vargas Melis Yılmaz Fatma Yıldırım

European Players  Azerbaijan Valeriya Korotenko Oksana Parkhomenko Polina Rahimova  Belarus Marina Tumas  Belgium Frauke Dirickx  Bulgaria Dobriana Rabadžieva Hristina Ruseva Elitsa Vasileva  Czech Republic Aneta Havlíčková  Croatia Mia Jerkov Nataša Osmokrović  Germany Christiane Fürst  France Christina Bauer  Italy Lucia Bosetti Eleonora Lo Bianco  Netherlands Maret Balkestein-Grothues Alice Blom  Poland Berenika Okuniewska Katarzyna Skowrońska Katarzyna Skorupa Magdalena Stysiak  Russia Arina Fedorovtseva Irina Fetisova Yekaterina Gamova Anna Lazareva Lioubov Sokolova  Serbia Brankica Mihajlović Bianka Buša Bojana Drča Mina Popović Anja Spasojević

Non-European Players  Brazil Ana Biatriz Chagas Ana Cristina de Souza Fabiana Claudino Fofão Souza Fernanda Garay Macris Carneiro Marianne Steinbrecher Natália Pereira Paula Pequeno Tatiana Santos  Colombia Madelaynne Montaño  South Korea Kim Yeon-koung  Thailand Nootsara Tomkom  United States Lindsey Berg Therese Crawford Nicole Davis Alisha Glass Kim Glass Christa Harmotto Kristin Hildebrand Jordan Thompson Logan Tom Kelsey Robinson  Mexico Samantha Bricio

Players written in italic still play for the club.

Sponsorship and kit manufacturers

Period Kit sponsors 2005–2006 Century 211 – Merit Life 2 – Adahan Logistics4 2006–2007 Acıbadem1 2 4 2007–2011 Acıbadem1 2 3 4 2011–2012 Universal1 3 4 – Bonus2 2012–2013 none 2013 Fenercell1 – Bonus2 2013 Grundig1 3 – Bonus2 2013–2016 Grundig1 – Bonus2 – Fenercell3 2016 Grundig1 – Bonus2 –Barilla2 – Fenercell3 2016–2017 Bonus2 – Barilla2 – Fenercell3 2017–2018 none 2018–2019 Opet1 2019–2020 Opet1 – Corendon Airlines2 – Kafkas Jewellery3 – Fluo4 2020–2021 Opet1 – Corendon Airlines2 2021–2022 Opet1 – Corendon Airlines2 – Asperox3 – Gossef 2022–2023 Opet1 – 1907 Fenerbahçe Derneği2 – Sanmar2 – Tirebolu 42 Çay4 1 Main sponsorship 2 Back sponsorship 3 Lateral sponsorship 4 Short sponsorship

Period Kit manufacturers 2000–2018 Fenerium 2018–2022 Bilcee 2022– Joma

See also

• Fenerbahçe SK
• Fenerbahçe Men's Volleyball

References

1. "Fenerbahce crowned Women's Club World champions". fivb.org. FIVB. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
2. "Fenerbahce and a Korean star named Kim shine in Baku". cev.eu. European Volleyball Confederation. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
3. "What a day for Fenerbahçe! Yellow Angels win CEV Cup!". cev.eu. European Volleyball Confederation. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
4. "Russia wins three of the European Cups, Fenerbahçe – two". cev.eu. European Volleyball Confederation. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
5. CEV. "Volley BERGAMO wins 2010 CEV Indesit European Champions League!". Archived from the original on 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
6. "Fenerbahce crowned Women's Club World champions". www.fivb.org. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
7. "Fenerbahce and a Korean star named Kim shine in Baku". www.cev.lu. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

External links

• Official website (in Turkish and English)