Turkey: Ziraat Bankkart make a winning start as 2026/27 Turkish Efeler Ligi opens

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The 2026/27 Turkish men’s volleyball championship, the SMS Grup Efeler Ligi, got underway on Saturday with a series of intriguing opening-round encounters.
Ziraat Bankkart made a strong statement against Fenerbahçe Medicana, Halkbank came from behind to defeat Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya, and Altekma survived a five-set battle against Spor Toto. İBB Spor Kulübü and Gebze Belediyesi Spor also began their campaigns with victories, while the scheduled match between Sultanbeyli Belediyespor and ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor could not take place.

Ziraat Bankkart opened their season in convincing fashion, defeating Fenerbahçe Medicana 3-0 away from home. The visitors took all three sets by the same narrow margin, winning 25:22, 25:21, 25:22 to secure a straight-sets victory against one of their major domestic rivals.
Halkbank also began with a win, overcoming Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 3-1 after dropping the opening set. Galatasaray started well to take the first 25-23, but Halkbank responded with a 25-20 win before edging a crucial third set 27-25. The hosts then closed out the match 25-23 to claim all three points. Galatasaray’s Stephen Maar and Can Koç were their joint top scorers with 18 points apiece. 
Altekma produced one of the day’s most entertaining performances, overturning a two-set deficit to beat Spor Toto 3-2. Spor Toto took the first two sets 29-27 and 25-21, but Altekma responded emphatically with a 25-9 third set before squeezing through 27-25 in the fourth. The hosts then held their nerve in the decider, winning 15-13. Jackson Young led Altekma with an outstanding 33 points, followed by Jordan Ewert with 22, while Jesus Herrera Jaime was the match’s leading scorer overall with 36 points for Spor Toto. 
İBB Spor Kulübü also started with three points on the road, beating Sungurlu Belediyespor 3-1. The visitors took the first two sets 25-21 and 25-14, but Sungurlu fought back to claim the third 25-23. İBB closed out the contest 25-22 in the fourth. Ali Fazli was the standout scorer with 25 points for the winners, while Kyle Ensing contributed 21 for Sungurlu. 
Gebze Belediyesi Spor completed the winning starts among the day’s other fixtures, defeating Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor 3-1 away from home. Gebze edged the opening set 25-23 before the hosts levelled the match with a hard-fought 30-28 second set. The visitors then regained control, winning 25-16 and 25-20 to secure the victory. Marek Sotola led Gebze with 25 points, while teammate Luka Marttila added 13. 
The opening round also brought an off-court controversy in Istanbul. The scheduled match between Sultanbeyli Belediyespor and ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor was not played because the home team failed to take the court. Reports from Turkey attributed the situation to problems concerning player payments at Sultanbeyli. The referee abandoned the fixture, and the Turkish Volleyball Federation is expected to determine the official outcome. Alanya had travelled to Istanbul for the match, which was scheduled for 14:00 local time. 
The first round has therefore delivered a mixture of expected results, dramatic comebacks and an unresolved situation away from the court. Ziraat Bankkart have made a convincing start, while Altekma’s comeback and the wins for İBB Spor Kulübü and Gebze Belediyesi Spor have provided early talking points in the new Efeler Ligi campaign.

Round 1 will close on Tuesday, November 3 2026 with the game between İstanbul Gençlik Spor and Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol, while Round 2 will be played entirely next Saturday, October 24.

IN PROGRESS

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🇹🇷| 2026/27 SMS Grup Efeler Ligi | Hafta 1 | Round 1

Saturday October 17, 2026
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Sungurlu Belediyespor – İBB Spor Kulübü 1-3 (21:25, 14:25, 25:23, 22:25)
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Sultanbeyli Belediyespor – ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor NOT PLAYED
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Halkbank – Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 3-1 (23:25, 25:20, 27:25, 25:23)
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Altekma – Spor Toto 3-2 (27:29, 21:25, 25:9, 27:25, 15:13)
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor – Gebze Belediyesi Spor 1-3 (23:25, 30:28, 16:25, 20:25)
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Fenerbahçe Medicana – Ziraat Bankkart 0-3 (22:25, 21:25, 22:25)

Tuesday November 3, 2026
• 17.00 (Local Time) | İstanbul Gençlik Spor – Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Ziraat Bankkart 0
2. İBB Spor Kulübü 0
3. Halkbank 0
4. Gebze Belediyesi Spor 0
5. Altekma 0
6. Spor Toto 0
7. ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor 0
8. Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol 0
9. İstanbul Gençlik Spor 0
10. Sultanbeyli Belediyespor 0
11. Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 0
12. Sungurlu Belediyespor
13. Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor 0
14. Fenerbahçe Medicana 0

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🏐| NEXT GAMES | Hafta 2 | Round 2

Saturday October 24, 2026
• 13.00 (Local Time) | Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya – Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Gebze Belediyesi Spor – Sungurlu Belediyespor
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Spor Toto – Halkbank
• 16.00 (Local Time) | ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor – İstanbul Gençlik Spor
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol – Fenerbahçe Medicana
• 16.30 (Local Time) | İBB Spor Kulübü – Sultanbeyli Belediyespor
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Ziraat Bankkart – Altekma

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