Bulgarian international Denislav Bardarov played a strong match, but his Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (IBB) finished the regular season in the Turkish Efeler League with a loss. The team lost as a guest to Spor Toto (Ankara) with a score of 2:3 (27:25, 14:25, 29:27, 18:25, 8:15) in a match from the final 26th round.
The match offered serious intrigue, as IBB took the lead twice after strong first and third sets. However, the hosts showed character, equalized after a decisive fourth set, and in the tie-break, they asserted control to close the match at 15:8.
Match statistics
| Category | Spor Toto | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
| Positive reception | 60% | 50% |
| Attack (points) | 78 | 62 |
| Blocks | 12 | 12 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 49 | 38 |
The key to Spor Toto's success was higher attack efficiency and more stable reception. The 16-point difference in attack proved decisive, despite the equality in blocks. The hosts also won more points from opponent's errors, which gave them an advantage in long rallies.
Individual leaders
Denislav Bardarov was the top scorer for IBB with 27 points (2 aces, 50% attack efficiency, 50% positive reception, +15).
However, the big hero for Spor Toto was Jesus Herrera Jaime, who finished with 34 points and was the top scorer in the match.
Additional contributions for the hosts:
Herrera – 3 aces and 27 attack points
Marko Ivović – 4 blocks
Eyüp Ensar Demirbiler – 5 blocks
With this win, Spor Toto finished the regular season in 4th place with 49 points and qualified for the playoffs (1–4), where they will face the leader Ziraat Bankkart.
IBB finishes the campaign in 12th position with 6 wins, 19 losses, and 23 points.
IBB was on the verge of an upset but couldn't hold on in the decisive moments. Spor Toto showed greater squad depth and received a key contribution from Herrera, who tipped the scales in the fifth set and sealed the team's place among the top four in the league.
