Max Potential athlete Dilay Özdemir concluded the 2025-2026 CEV Champions League season as European runner-up with Eczacıbaşı Dynavit. The historic all-Turkish final was played on May 3, 2026, at Ülker Sports Arena in Istanbul in front of 13,500 spectators.
Semifinal: A Five-Set Comeback
Eczacıbaşı dropped the first set 20-25 to Italian powerhouse Savino Del Bene Scandicci. The match shifted from the second set onward when Dilay Özdemir entered the game and took over the setter position. In every set Dilay was on court, sets two (25-20), three (25-17), and five (15-8), Eczacıbaşı came away with the win. Stysiak finished with 30 points, Karakurt with 18. The team's attack efficiency reached 53% against Scandicci's 46%, and 11 team blocks underlined Eczacıbaşı's overall dominance across the match.
Dilay Özdemir, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit semifinal, Istanbul 2026
Having won MVP and Best Setter at the 2024 U20 European Championship, Dilay stepped onto a CEV Champions League semifinal court as setter within a single season and played at that level successfully. Managing a five-set Champions League semifinal in the setter role at 20 years old is a meaningful experience.
Final: A Historic Turkish Derby
The final matched Eczacıbaşı against VakıfBank, a rarely seen scenario in European club volleyball: two Turkish teams contesting the continent's premier title on their home soil. Eczacıbaşı again started with Elif Şahin in the setter role and dropped the first two sets 20-25 and 21-25. After Dilay entered the game, Eczacıbaşı won the third set 25-21, then lost the fourth 18-25 to go down 1-3. In the final Dilay recorded one service ace and one tip shot. VakıfBank's Bošković converted 31 of 48 attack attempts at 65% efficiency for 33 points. Winning a set against that output required real resolve. Three Eczacıbaşı players were named to the CEV Final Four Dream Team.
Eczacıbaşı Dynavit, CEV Champions League runners-up, Istanbul 2026
Ticket to the World Stage
By reaching the Champions League final, Eczacıbaşı earned qualification for the FIVB Women's Club World Championship. In the next season, they will compete for the title again at the tournament they won in 2023.
National Team Season Begins
With the club season closed, Dilay's schedule shifts to the national team. The Turkish Women's National Team enters the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League with legs in Brasília (June 3-7), Ankara (June 17-21), and Kansai, Japan (July 8-12), with the finals for the top eight on July 22-26 in Macao. The second major tournament of the summer is the CEV EuroVolley 2026, hosted by Turkey, with the group stage at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul from August 21 to 28 and final rounds continuing through September 6. A season that ended on the European podium continues in the national jersey.
Dilay Özdemir, CEV Final Four, Istanbul 2026
We congratulate Dilay and the entire Eczacıbaşı Dynavit family on this achievement, and wish them every success in the months ahead.
