Some big outings and memorable moments for the Turkish sisterhood over the past few days. Many players had considerable contributions, helping their teams in collegiate volleyball action to wrap up February and welcome March and this spring season.
Lots of international talent taking over at the Hofstra - Seton Hall match with great freshmen outings by Damla Tokman and Tsveti Ilieva. UTRGV survives in the WAC and got their first win, primarily due to the heroics of Ada Bulgur, setting new best records!
Ioanna Krimili continued her great performances in the month of February, receiving her 11th Freshman of the Week award in 14 weeks, leaving no doubt on who will be the West Coast Conference selection for the annual award later this year! Ioanna is a top scorer in the conference as well, where she has been helping the Dons win the last 3 games of the season. Ioanna contributed to her team’s important victory vs BYU on February 27th by having 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, shooting 6-12 from the field and making 3/5 3pt shots, while she did not miss a single free throw going a perfect 12/12 in 38 minutes of action. She is currently averaging 18.7 points per game going along with 3.3 rebounds while shooting 46% from the 3pt line. Ioanna still leads the nation in 3pt shots made, while having taken 41 fewer shots than the trailing senior from Virginia Tech, Aisha Sheppard, who is aiming to overtake her entering March games. Ioanna is also in the Top-10 for free-throw percentage, with over 90% efficiency.
Leontaridou is 3rd in the US for blocks per set - Baka; a leader indoors and outdoors - Back-to-back double-doubles for Alexakou - Kyridis with a new season high!
Astounding week for the Greek girls and boys in the United States, but what can we say about the ones from Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki’s little lion, Elena Leontaridou, collects blocks and breaks records in each set, holding the third place in the new season for blocks per set. Baka is a leader once again, not only indoors but also outdoors, with the young lady having 4 consecutive victories in the indoor and beach court, always with double-digits for points. Alexakou turned 21, and instead of asking for a birthday present, decided to give one to St.John's, a comeback win, scoring another double-double in her career. Kyridis broke his personal record with a new career high of 11 kills!
You were one of the athletes who chose to take a “gap year” chasing the dream of a very good university both academically and athletically. Do you feel justified by your decision?
The decision to take a “gap year” and reject the offers I had after graduating high school was probably the riskiest thing I have ever done in my life. As we say in Greece “the daring one wins”, and in my case my decision not only justified me, but exceeded all my expectations! This extra time was what gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams and secure a spot in a very prestigious university both academically and athletically. Moreover, this extra time gave me the opportunity to get a mental break from the exhausting process of the panhellenic exams and bring my body back into shape to how it was before my senior year of high school. Finally, having this extra time before I leave, allowed me to prepare myself better for the forthcoming change that was about to come such as cooking, washing clothes, and even more complex ones such as how to prepare myself to say goodbye to my family.
Another week and another record-setting performance by Turkish rookies in NCAA D1 women’s volleyball. Some historic wins for their teams below, with significant contributions from Turkish players.
Sherolli will just not let the ball touch the ground! Green Bay had two matches this past week with Sherolli reaching double digits in digs, with 13 digs in the first match, and setting a new record in the second match with 22 digs! Season opener for Towson University brought an easy victory for Bakodimou who broke her personal record with 9 kills and 10 digs.
Ioanna Krimili continues her great performances in the month of February. She received her 9th Freshman of the Week award in 12 weeks for the West Coast Conference, where she's leading her Dons to new heights, having won 7 out of their last 8 games. She contributed to her team’s important victory on Valentine’s Day vs Portland by having 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, shooting 6-12 from the field, and making 4/8 3pt shots in 38 minutes of action. She is currently averaging 18.2 points per game going along with 3.4 rebounds while shooting 44.2 % from the 3pt line. Ioanna's battle for the top spot in the country in 3pters made is one for the ages. She's still #1 in the nation, while hot on her heels is the senior from Virginia Tech, Aisha Sheppard, who's taken 28 more 3pt shots than Ioanna.
The first month of this challenging volleyball season came with some pleasant surprises for college volleyball fans, courtesy of the young Turkish guns by the names of Doga Topcicek and Yagmur Cinel, who keep firing away in each game. They are both third in scoring and consistent attackers for their teams, helping their teammates maintain 3-3 W-L records in the highly competitive Missouri Valley Conference, annually featuring Top-50 teams nationally!
Katerina Papazoglou and Temple University premiered with the Greek senior being “on fire” on the service line with 5 aces. The dynamic duo, Alexakou-Kathariou had a great weekend at St. John’s after Saturday’s sweep over Sacred Heart University (3-0). Alexakou led her team with 17 points, 16 kills, 2 blocks, and 6 digs, while Kathariou hosted a “block-party” attaining 7 blocks and 4 kills. Valentine’s Day, however, challenged St. John’s after it took them 5 sets to break Stony Brook University’s resistance and wrap up their two-match home-stand. With Kathariou building walls for St. John’s block and Alexakou’s mighty swings, they managed to capture the 5th set with 15-11 bringing the Red Storm to raging celebrations. Alexakou ended the game with 14 kills, 1 block, and 13 digs while Kathariou was named the best blocker for both teams with 8 blocks, 7 kills, and 1 ace.
