We are at the FB Dereağzı facilities named after the legendary guru of Turkish football, Lefter Küçükandonyadis, who made history in the Turkey National Football Team, also known by the nickname “Ordinaryüs.” The story of this article unfolds on a sunny and frosty winter day.

Imagine a ball; you are in the midst of a game, holding the ball in your hands. Bend your elbows and keep them close to your body, holding the ball. Your feet are shoulder-width apart, and your weight is balanced on the balls of your feet in a ready position. Have you ever thought about how you use the front of your arms, wrists, or hands to constantly control the direction and speed of the ball on the field, directing it to where you want it to go while in contact with the ball? Even if you throw the ball well, it won’t be enough for success if you don’t get into a good defensive position on the field with your teammates after throwing it. Volleyball is about momentary awareness and agility; it leaves no room for a moment of emptiness, just like other sports.

The Magical World of Volleyball: More Than Just Scoring Points, Defense, and Team Play

Scoring points by hitting the ball over the net onto the opposing team’s court, defending your own court, and preventing the other team from scoring may be beyond volleyball. Even beyond serving the ball with power and accuracy over the net onto the other team’s court, creating pressure on the opposing team to give my team a chance to score. Is volleyball about keeping the ball in play and passing it to teammates by using your forearms, wrists, or hands? It goes beyond that too.

Captains are leaders who mediate between players and coaches. Regardless of how the team captain is chosen, their role in volleyball rises to a leadership position after being selected. As a result, responsibilities, roles, and the scope of influence also expand. Team captaincy is not limited to dedication that prioritizes the team and its success, attending all practices and meetings, encouraging all teammates to be equally dedicated and present, sacrificing personal time for the team’s benefit, and developing strategies and games. The captain is a visionary and servant leader beyond managing training, games, and competition schedules; they are steadfast, competitive, and have focused eyes. It is a state of alertness that does not allow the slightest lapse in attention and effort during the match. It is the rightful pride of leading a hardworking team to success.

Excellent leadership skills are clear communication skills in captaincy. It is having comprehensive knowledge about the rules and strategies of the game and keeping the information updated. It is showing respect to all members of the team. It is loyalty to the team and the game. It is the ability to motivate and inspire team members, even in the face of team failure.

In the Pursuit of Victory and Success with the Sultans of the Net: The Turkish Women’s National Volleyball Team under the Leadership of Eda Erdem Dündar and Aslı Kalaç

We witnessed the Sultans of the Net in their crescent and star jerseys. If you believe in the totems of coming together with those who experience and bring the joy of victory and success, today is such a day. As a licensed athlete who has experienced feelings such as the gains of participative-visionary leadership, motivation, the thrill of victory, unity, team spirit, solidarity, team belonging, dedication, and the sense of sporting success, and who served as the captain of a swimming sports team for a period (Eurasia Corporate Games), being in the company of inspiring successful athletes has encouraged me in the constant pursuit of achievement and sharing. It reminds me of the inclusiveness of living with a steadfast stance and discipline in life, regardless of the sport. It is something like the joy of a trophy or medal. Today was the time of the winter sun in the noon chill, and it was such a day.

The queens of the court, the national women’s volleyball team players Eda Erdem Dündar and Aslı Kalaç, are at the pinnacle of the world rankings. The Turkish women’s national volleyball team, champions of the 2023 European Women’s Volleyball Championship, and of course, even though I am with them in the event today, all the players of the team have always been our pride. They are the queens of the court. They are undefeated. Never giving up. They are the ones who bring the joy of victory to their team, club, and fans. In the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, they won all 7 matches in the Olympic Qualification Group, emerged as leaders from their group, and embraced the Olympic Qualification World Cup. They became the European champions in the centenary of the Republic. They made history as the first team in Turkish sports history to become European champions in team sports.

Managed by the Turkish Volleyball Federation and representing Turkey in international women’s volleyball matches, the Turkish National Women’s Volleyball Team, coached by coach Daniele Santarelli, has been ranked 1st in the FIVB world rankings since the summer of 2023. The Captain of the National Women’s Volleyball Team – Eda Erdem Dündar, the captain of Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball Team, Meliha Diken (İsmailoğlu), a national athlete of Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball Team and a champion of the 2023 European Women’s Volleyball Championship, and Aslı Kalaç, the champion of the Sultan’s League who is part of the squads of the Turkish women’s national volleyball team, were the champions. Together with Murat Yenipazar, who played for the Turkish men’s national volleyball team and the Barkom-Kajanı team in the 2022-2023 season of the Polish Super League, and won the Best Setter award at the 2013 U21 World Championships and the 2015 U23 World Championships, we left a moment with instant smiles during the event at FB. These moments are recorded in history at the Dereağzı Lefter Küçükandonyadis Facilities with these photos.

A Passionate Journey at the Summit: Turkey National Women’s Volleyball Team and Sultanlar League Champions

The event that led to these records was the ceremony organized at the Dereağzı Lefter Küçükandonyadis Facilities, where Gürsel Turizm, a long-standing supporter of FB club since the 1970s and referred to as “a part of our family” in recent years, not only in football but also as the transportation sponsor for the team in basketball and volleyball, delivered a specially prepared bus for Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball and Fenerbahçe Parolapara Men’s Volleyball Teams as the Road Transportation Sponsor. Attending the ceremony were Simla Türker Bayazıt, Board Member in Charge of Volleyball, Levent Birant, Chairman of the Board of Gürsel Turizm, Hürer Fethi Gündüz, Vice Chairman of the Board, Kerem Birant, General Manager, Pelin Çelik, Manager of Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball Team, Eda Erdem Dündar, Team Captain, Hasan Yeşilbudak, Captain of Fenerbahçe Parolapara, and the volleyball players. Administrative staff of FB branches and professionals from Gürsel Turizm also participated in the ceremony. Volleyball players Meliha Diken, Aslı Kalaç, and Murat Yenipazar thanked Gürsel Turizm for their contributions after other speakers at the ceremony.

On the Mercedes-Benz branded bus, the silhouette of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, along with logos of Teams and Sponsors supporting the teams, is placed. A great idea for the 100th anniversary of our Republic. From what I gathered from the speeches, if travel by plane is not intended, then this bus will be used for the away matches to Ankara over the weekend. Let’s hope that the bus prepared by Gürsel Turizm will lead Fenerbahçe Opet and Fenerbahçe Parolapara Men’s Volleyball Teams to many championships.

Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball Team Captain Eda Erdem Dündar’s Thanks: Pride, Happiness…

In the speech of Eda Erdem Dündar, the captain of Fenerbahçe Opet Women’s Volleyball Team, she expressed, “We are very delighted for the pride and happiness we brought to our country in the 100th year of our Republic. We believe that we will raise this bar even higher. Transportation has always been crucial for us athletes because you need to travel comfortably and safely. For this, we thank Gürsel Turizm very much. We really liked our bus. It is very comfortable. Hopefully, we will achieve success together. This is not just a collaboration but a concept of being a family. When Fenerbahçe Sports Club is mentioned, this sense of family, belonging, and unity always stands out. Experiencing this with you is very valuable to us. Thank you for being here.”

At the end of the event, the volleyball players presented signed Fenerbahçe Opet and Fenerbahçe Parolapara jerseys to Levent Birant, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gürsel Turizm, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Hürer Fethi Gündüz. Levent Birant, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gürsel Turizm, also gave a symbolic key as a memento of the delivery to Captain Eda Erdem Dündar and Hasan Yeşilbudak.

Congratulations once again, wishing the teams many successes and victories. I wish them always safe journeys, just as now, in the future, deserving many successes and safe travels with heartfelt congratulations.

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Athlete, Trainer, Economist, Researcher and Author H.Çiğdem YORGANCIOĞLU

18 December 2023 FB Dereağzı Lefter Küçükandonyadis Facilities, Istanbul