Kim, Simge and Hande grabbed the Olympic tickets to 2020 Tokyo. Here is a recap of how our players shone in their respective Continental Qualification tournaments.
Turkey
Despite having lost their first game in Pool B by 3-1 against Germany, Turkish National Team managed to comeback strong on the second day of the tournament. Being able to breathe again with a 3-1 win over Croatia in their pockets, Turkey were off to the last game of the pool stage which was against a young and dynamic Belgium.
Big spikes, brilliant pick-ups and a cracking cross-court to finish off this #MegaRally !
— Volleyball World (@FIVBVolleyball) January 10, 2020
Turkey 🇹🇷 takes set 1 (25-20) vs. Belgium 🇧🇪
Full #FIVBCOQT coverage: https://t.co/0DvUS5KlBg
CEV matches: https://t.co/LwHc5oAQiM #Tokyo2020 #Volleyball @TVForgtr @BelYellowTigers pic.twitter.com/ftzZSG43Cz
Holding on for each ball, Turkey left behind a crucial five-set victory against Belgium and managed to proceed to the semi-finals by finishing Pool B in the second place. Hande brought in 20 points with 18 successful attacks on 33 swings.
The semi-final match against Poland might have already saved a place in your must-watch list. The 3-2 clash has surely been one of the highlights of the Olympic year as Turkey came back from a 2-1 loss, winning the 45-minute long fourth set by 31-33. Once again, Simge Aköz and Hande Baladın were on the stage as they have bravely defended the court in the back row in the tie-breaker.
Turkey showed a solid performance in the final game against Germany with Hande being the leading scorer by 18 points and carrying her team to a 3-0 win. Filled with tears and joy in Apeldoorn which felt like home as the team members say, Turkey accomplished their Olympic mission successfully and grabbed the Olympic ticket for the second time in the Turkish volleyball history after London 2012.
Monster Block!! Hande Baladin with a huge stuff! One of her 7 points in Turkey's 🇹🇷 25-17 1st set win over Germany 🇩🇪!
— Volleyball World (@FIVBVolleyball) January 12, 2020
Full #FIVBCOQT coverage: https://t.co/QRohoq3T97
Watch CEV Tokyo Qualification matches at https://t.co/LwHc5oAQiM#Volleyball #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/TWtykxvyJh
With her agressive yet mature performance throughout the tournament, Hande Baladın managed to take the lead among the best scorers ranking with an attack efficiency of 50.35% meaning 72 successful spikes on a total of 143 attempts.
Korea
Having grabbed one of the last available tickets to Tokyo, captain of the Korean National Team Yeon Koung Kim has proudly represented her country in Thailand where the Asian Continental Qualification took place.
Having suffered a slight injury during the tournament, captain Yeon Koung Kim was back on court yesterday helping her team for a 3-0 win against Thailand in the final match. With a match-high 22-point performance yesterday, Kim carried her team to Korea’s third consecutive Olympic Games where the first one in London was a milestone of her legendary career as she was selected the Most Valuable Player in 2012 Olympics.
Only one ticket to #Tokyo2020 🇯🇵 from the AVC #FIVBCOQT, and Korea 🇰🇷 takes it!
— Volleyball World (@FIVBVolleyball) January 12, 2020
#10 Kim Yeonkoung charted 22 points to help win 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-20) vs. Thailand 🇹🇭
Full coverage: https://t.co/0DvUS5KlBg
#Volleyball @avcvolley pic.twitter.com/aprkG2gC65
