Volleyball
Two Russian women won the prestigious trophy in Europe. And 20-year-old Fedorovtseva is simply idolized there!
Arina Fedorovtseva / Photo: © Pier Marco Tacca / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
Fenerbahçe won the Turkish Cup for the first time in seven years.
Russian volleyball players Irina Fetisova and Arina Fedorovtseva continue to impress with their play in a foreign club. Their Fenerbahce won the Turkish Cup for the first time in a long time. This victory could not have happened without the direct participation of Irina and Arina.
In the final, by the way, the girls faced off against their compatriot!
Scored 28 points for two
Fenerbahçe and Eczacibasi competed for the Turkish Cup. For the first time since 2019, these teams met in the finals of the second most important tournament in the country. Then Eczacibasi won with a score of 3-1.
The next confrontation began with a tense first game, in which Fenerbahçe was a little more lucky – 25:23. The team of Fetisova and Fedorovtseva lost the second set without much resistance, losing 16:25. But then she pulled herself together and won the next two games relatively easily – 25:17 and 25:20. The score of 3-1 in games brought Fenerbahçe their first Turkish Cup since 2017.
Russian volleyball players made a great contribution to the victory. Arina Fedorovtseva scored 18 points – this is the second highest score in Fenerbahce after Melissa Vargas (19). Irina Fetisova scored 10 points, finishing behind Fedorovtseva.
It is worth noting that Russian Irina Voronkova played in the Eczadzhibashi team. She scored nine points, but this was not enough for her team to succeed.
Arina does not consider herself a star
The Turkish Cup gold medal was the first for Irina Fetisova in her foreign career. Before that, the middle blocker spent eight years with Dynamo Moscow, winning every national tournament in Russia. Irina also played in Zarechye-Odintsovo near Moscow and won the European Challenge Cup with him. Fetisova has been playing at Fenerbahce since May 2023.
Arina Fedorovtseva moved to Istanbul in 2021 when she was 17 years old. The finisher immediately proved herself in the new club, becoming a leader along with Melissa Vargas. In three seasons at Fenerbahçe, Arina won three tournaments – the championship, the Turkish Cup and the Turkish Super Cup, and also took silver in the Cup twice.
The girl is unconditionally considered a local volleyball star. But she herself does not like this definition and generally treats herself as modestly as possible.
— I feel uncomfortable when they say that I’m some kind of star. I’m not ready to accept this status. I’m just at the beginning of my journey. It is appropriate to call Michael Jordan a star. Why they tell me this, I don’t understand,” Arina admitted in an interview with Sports.ru.
There is a chance for a golden double
Fenerbahce seriously strengthened in the off-season. Arina Fedorovtseva’s teammates, in addition to Irina Fetisova, were the vice-champion of the Olympics in the Serbian national team, Boyana Drca (Zivkovic), and one of the leaders of Polish volleyball, Magdalena Stysiak. This addition to the squad was beneficial: the “yellow angels” won the Turkish Cup and are confidently leading the Sultanate League (the national championship), winning 23 out of 25 matches.
But Fedorovtseva and her company did not win the European Cup. In the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League, Fenerbahçe lost to the Italian Milan in a two-game match (0:3, 3:1, golden set – 11:15). The Istanbul team has not won at European level for ten years – the last time they celebrated a title was in 2014, when they won the CEV Cup.
However, Fenerbahçe will break this unsuccessful streak sooner or later – Arina Fedorovtseva and Irina Fetisova will definitely help. In the meantime, the girls can celebrate their victory in the Turkish Cup and prepare for the decisive matches in the championship. If there is a chance to make a golden double, then why not take advantage of it?
Source: Sportbox
Alberta Robinson is a sports journalist and author, who is currently associated with the publication Sportish, where she writes about sports related news and events. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, Robinson brings in-depth analysis and insightful commentary to her writing.