The
Intermural Volleyball First League Category B tournament will be held at Çukurova
University in Adana March 28-April 1. Bilkent women’s volleyball team
Head Coach and international referee Ömer Mihalıcçık and Assistant Coach Sarp Baturalp
spoke with Bilkent News about the Bilkent volleyball team and the
upcoming Adana Cup Tournament.
Bilkent News: Coach, can you tell us something about the status of
volleyball as a sport in Turkey? And more specifically, how do you think the Bilkent
University volleyball teams compare with other university teams in Turkey?
Mihalıcçık & Baturalp: In our country, volleyball is a very
popular sport, as it is all over the world. In volleyball, as in football, there are many
professional players. Moreover, many women choose volleyball as their sport and compete as
professionals. The game's appeal comes from its speed, aesthetics and the fact that it can
be played both indoors and in a variety of places outdoors, for instance at the beach.
Volleyball is very popular at our university. Each year we are easily able to find enough
qualified players for both the women's and men's teams. With respect to the opportunities
that Bilkent provides, our teams are improving day-by-day through regular practice
sessions, although of course we need some more time to reach the same level as public
universities that have physical education students on their teams. We can say with
confidence that we can attain a place among the top three private universities in this
sport. Our men's volleyball team advanced from category C to category B without losing a
single game in the tournament that was recently played at our university.
As for our women's team, we are currently working with it as hard as we can in order to
advance from category B to category A. The women's team will play in an important and
difficult tournament in Adana from March 28-April 1, and we hope to
receive support from all Bilkenters.
Bilkent News: What is the training program for the women's team during
the runup to the Adana Cup Tournament?
Mihalıcçık & Baturalp: We've been training twice a week since the
beginning of the academic year. Now, in preparation for Adana, we're increasing both the
frequency and the tempo of our practice sessions. Our training concentrates on technique
and teamwork, and our team members are determined to do their best.
Bilkent News: Each year, experienced players graduate and are replaced by
newcomers. How does this affect the team? Finally, how many players will go to Adana, and
what is your expectation regarding the tournament?
Mihalıcçık & Baturalp: Our present team consists mainly of
juniors, but there are also some seniors. As always, we'll need to select new players to
replace them next year. We believe that over the next few years, the Bilkent University
women's team will achieve still more success. As for the tournament, we are limiting the
number of players going to Adana to 10-12.
Our biggest hope is to bring back a new cup to our university.
Volleyball Team Members:
Bengisu Vural (ECON)
Melis Keller (IR)
Pınar Kefeli (COMD)
Gözde Çalışkan (IAED)
Melis Ercan (LAW)
Naz Köseoğlu (COMD)
Süheyla Özge Eşim (ECON)
Melis Dinçer (CS)
Aycan Polat (BIM)
Irmak Fidan Özonay (EE)
Didem Tosya (COMD)
F. Banu Doğan (POLS)
Sera Bayındır (LAW)
Pınar
Kefeli (pinark@ug.bilkent.edu.tr)
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