"Bilkent Spirit" Inspires Team to Win Volleyball Championship
During the week of December 17-21, the annual second division Interuniversity Volleyball Championship was held at Çankaya University. The Bilkent University women's volleyball team took first place in the tournament and moved up to the first division.
Other teams playing in the second division tournament were Başkent, Çankaya, GATA, THK, TOBB ETÜ and Ufuk. In the lead-up to the event, the Bilkent players and particularly their coaches, Sarp Baturalp, Betül Kırık Bektaş and Ömer Mihalıcçık, had no doubt the team would achieve first place.
On the first day of the tournament, Bilkent got off to a flying start, winning 3-0 against THK. The following day the team defeated Başkent 3-1. Paired with GATA in the semifinals, Bilkent saw the match end up 3-0 in their favor, gaining a spot in the finals against Başkent. This time, the Bilkent women did not give up even a set to their rivals, achieving yet another 3-0 victory and becoming this year's champions with an undefeated record.
After the tournament, the elated players described their road to success and their feelings about the championship: "Becoming real friends with our teammates and focusing on the goal motivated us to build up a Bilkent spirit. We were able to compensate for each other's mistakes and stand together even when things were going wrong. We're glad that we've received a recompense for our efforts. We hope to see all Bilkenters supporting us next year as we compete in the first division for more victories."