‼️If you wish to publish an Italian translation of this article, any of our other articles, or ANY PART OF THEM, please cite the original source. PLAGIARISM IS ILLEGAL⛔️
Saturday’s action in 2026/27 SMS Grup Efeler Ligi featured seven matches and a wide range of storylines, from Ziraat Bankkart’s continued dominance to a thrilling Istanbul derby that saw Fenerbahçe Medicana overturn a two-set deficit against Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya. The sixth round also produced a five-set battle in Kahramanmaraş, while several teams strengthened their position with convincing victories.
Ziraat Bankkart maintained their unbeaten run with a 3-1 away victory over Gebze Belediyesi Spor, winning 28:30, 25:22, 20:25 and 20:25. The opening set was an intense battle, with Gebze repeatedly coming close to closing it out. The hosts reportedly had five set points, but Ziraat found a way through, with Nimir Abdel-Aziz delivering in attack and Ahmet Tümer making a decisive contribution with two blocks.
Gebze responded by taking the second set 25-22, briefly restoring parity and keeping the contest alive. However, Ziraat regained control in the third, establishing an early advantage and capitalising on their superiority at the net. The visitors then maintained their momentum in the fourth set to complete the victory.
Nimir Abdel-Aziz was the leading scorer for Ziraat with 29 points, followed by Trevor Clevenot with 22 and Ahmet Tümer with 11. The Ankara side recorded nine blocks, 60 attack points and five service aces, while also benefiting from 28 direct opponent errors. The result extended Ziraat’s winning streak, with the club reported to have won all seven of its league matches played so far. Gebze, after winning its first four matches, suffered a second consecutive defeat and remained on 12 points.
At the 100th Year Recep Hacıfazlıoğlu Sports Hall in Alanya, ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor delivered one of the most emphatic performances of the round, sweeping Altekma 3-0. The hosts dominated from the beginning, winning 25:15, 25:16 and 25:17 in a match that lasted just 76 minutes.
Alanya established a clear advantage in the opening set and never allowed Altekma to find a foothold. The second set followed a similar pattern, with the home side maintaining its control before completing the sweep in the third. The result offered a convincing response from Alanya, who had entered the round with two victories from their first five league matches. Altekma, meanwhile, were unable to reproduce the form that had earned them a five-set victory over Onikişubat in the previous round.
The most exhausting encounter of the day took place in Kahramanmaraş, where AKEDAŞ Onikişubat Belediyespor defeated Sungurlu Belediyespor 3-2 after a remarkable 176-minute battle. The match finished 20:25, 25:21, 25:23, 23:25 and 15:11.
Sungurlu made the stronger start, taking the opening set 25-20, but Onikişubat responded by winning the next two frames and moving ahead 2-1. The visitors refused to surrender, edging the fourth set 25-23 to force a tie-break. In the decisive fifth set, Onikişubat finally established the necessary separation, closing it 15-11 to secure two valuable points.
The result was particularly important for Onikişubat, who had narrowly lost 3-2 to Altekma in the previous round. Sungurlu, despite pushing the match to its limit, left Kahramanmaraş with one point after a contest that demanded almost three hours of volleyball.
Spor Toto also secured a straight-set victory, defeating İstanbul Gençlik Spor 3-0 in Ankara. The opening set was the most competitive of the match, with Spor Toto eventually prevailing 31-29 after a prolonged battle. The hosts then maintained their advantage, taking the second set 25-22 and closing the match with a 25-19 win in the third.
Jesus Herrera Jaime led Spor Toto’s scoring with 18 points, while Oreol Camejo added 15 and Lukas Vasina contributed 10. Mustafa Koç was particularly effective at the net, recording three blocks. For İstanbul Gençlik, Krisztián Pádár was the leading scorer with 17 points.
The victory gave Spor Toto its third win in six league matches and lifted the team to 11 points. It was an important result for the Ankara side, which had experienced an inconsistent opening to the season.
At the İBB Cebeci Sports Complex, İBB Spor Kulübü comfortably defeated Gaziantep Gençlik Spor 3-0, with set scores of 25:17, 25:18 and 25:22. The Istanbul team controlled the opening two sets before Gaziantep offered greater resistance in the third. Nevertheless, İBB remained composed and completed the sweep in 85 minutes.
Uroš Kovačević was the match’s leading scorer with 16 points for İBB, followed by opposite Renee Teppan with 13. Hamdi Erkan added eight points and Furkan Dur contributed seven. On the visiting side, Zihua Wen finished as Gaziantep’s top scorer with 16 points.
The victory marked İBB Spor Kulübü’s third win in six league matches, while Gaziantep suffered its fourth defeat of the campaign. The result also confirmed İBB’s ability to convert home advantage into three important points.
Halkbank continued its impressive start to the season with a 3-0 victory over Sultanbeyli Belediyespor in Ankara. The match finished 25:23, 25:20 and 25:17, with the hosts gradually increasing their control over the encounter.
The opening set was the closest, as Sultanbeyli attempted to challenge the Ankara side, but Halkbank found the decisive points in the closing stages. The second set followed a similar pattern, before the hosts pulled away in the third to complete the sweep.
The victory extended Halkbank’s unbeaten league run, adding another three points to an already strong campaign. Sultanbeyli, on the other hand, continued to struggle for consistency after a difficult opening to the season.
The big match of Saturday’s programme came at the Burhan Felek Vestel Volleyball Hall, where Fenerbahçe Medicana produced a spectacular comeback to defeat Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 3-2 in the Istanbul derby. The match finished 21:25, 19:25, 25:23, 25:18 and 15:13, with Fenerbahçe recovering from two sets down to claim one of the most dramatic victories of the round.
Galatasaray began the encounter with authority, winning the opening set 25-21 before extending its advantage with a 25-19 victory in the second. The home side appeared to be in a commanding position, just one set away from a straight-set derby triumph.
Fenerbahçe, however, refused to give up. The visitors edged a crucial third set 25-23, keeping their hopes alive and shifting the momentum. With renewed confidence, Fenerbahçe dominated the fourth set 25-18 to level the match and force a tie-break.
The fifth set was a tense affair, with both teams fighting for every point. Fenerbahçe eventually prevailed 15-13, completing the comeback and securing a memorable derby victory after more than two hours of intense volleyball.
The result was particularly significant given the teams’ strong starts to the season. Before the encounter, Galatasaray had won four of its first five league matches, while Fenerbahçe had also collected four victories from five outings. The derby therefore represented an important contest between two teams already positioned among the early contenders.
The rivalry has produced numerous close encounters in recent seasons, including several five-set matches. Fenerbahçe’s latest victory continued that tradition, once again demonstrating how little separates the two Istanbul clubs when they meet.
Efelerligi will continue next Saturday with first six games of Round 7.
____________________
🇹🇷| 2026/27 SMS Grup Efeler Ligi | Hafta 6 | Round 6
👉🏼Saturday November 14, 2026
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Gebze Belediyesi Spor – Ziraat Bankkart 1-3 (28:30, 25:22, 20:25, 20:25)
• 14.00 (Local Time) | ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor – Altekma 3-0 (25:15, 25:16, 25:17)
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor – Sungurlu Belediyespor 3-2 (20:25, 25:21, 25:23, 23:25, 15:11)
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Spor Toto – İstanbul Gençlik Spor 3-0 (31:29, 25:22, 25:19)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | İBB Spor Kulübü – Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol 3-0 (25:17, 25:18, 25:22)
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Halkbank – Sultanbeyli Belediyespor 3-0 (25:23, 25:20, 25:17)
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya – Fenerbahçe Medicana 2-3 (25:21, 25:19, 23:25, 18:25, 13:15)
____________________
🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Ziraat Bankkart 19
2. Halkbank 17
3. Fenerbahçe Medicana 13
4. Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 13
5. Gebze Belediyesi Spor 12
6. ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor 11
7. Spor Toto 11
8. İBB Spor Kulübü 9
9. Altekma 8
10. Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol 5
11. Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor 5
12. İstanbul Gençlik Spor 3
13. Sultanbeyli Belediyespor 2
14. Sungurlu Belediyespor 1
____________________
🏐| NEXT GAMES | Hafta 7 | Round 7
Saturday November 21, 2026
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Sultanbeyli Belediyespor – Akedaş Onikişubat Belediye Spor
• 16.00 (Local Time) | ON Hotels Alanya Belediyespor – İBB Spor Kulübü
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Ziraat Bankkart – Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Gaziantep Gençlik voleybol – Gebze Belediyesi Spor
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Altekma – Sungurlu Belediyespor
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Fenerbahçe Medicana – Spor Toto
Sunday November 22, 2026
• 14.00 (Local Time) | İstanbul Gençlik Spor – Halkbank
____________________
👀|QUICK LINKS
• All news from Turkey 🇹🇷
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram
___________________