The 2026/27 SMS Grup Efeler Ligi season opened in Turkey with victories for Ziraat Bankkart, Halkbank, İBB Spor Kulübü and Gebze Belediyesi, while Altekma produced a remarkable five-set comeback against Spor Toto.
One of the opening round’s biggest results came in Istanbul, where Ziraat Bankkart swept Fenerbahçe Medicana 3-0 at Burhan Felek Vestel Volleyball Hall. The Ankara side secured a 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 victory, with Yuki Ishikawa (16 pts), Erhan Hamarat (11 pts), and Trévor Clévenot (10 pts) playing key roles. Despite resistance from Fenerbahçe’s experienced lineup, the visitors maintained control in the decisive stages of each set.
In Ankara, Halkbank recovered from a set down to defeat Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-23). Brazilian opposite Darlan Ferreira delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a match-high 31 points to lead Radostin Stoytchev’s team to first victory of the campaign.
The round’s most dramatic contest saw Altekma overturn a two-set deficit against Spor Toto, winning 3-2 after losing the opening sets 27-29 and 21-25. The İzmir side responded emphatically with a 25-9 third-set victory before taking the fourth 27-25 and the deciding tie-break 15-13.
In other matches, İBB Spor Kulübü claimed a 3-1 away victory over Sungurlu Belediyesi, while Gebze Belediyesi also started its campaign successfully with a 3-1 win against Akedaş Onikişubat Belediyesi.
The scheduled encounter between Sultanbeyli Belediyesi and On Hotels Alanya Belediyesi was not played after the home side failed to appear. The Turkish Volleyball Federation will announce official decision regarding the fixture at a later date.
SMS Grup Efeler Ligi 2026/27 – Opening Round Results
- Sungurlu Belediyesi 1-3 İBB Spor Kulübü (21-25, 14-25, 25-23, 22-25) – Match statistics
- Altekma 3-2 Spor Toto (27-29, 21-25, 25-9, 27-25, 15-13) – Match statistics
- Akedaş Onikişubat Belediyesi 1-3 Gebze Belediyesi (23-25, 30-28, 16-25, 20-25) – Match statistics
- Halkbank 3-1 Galatasaray Madeş Mobilya (23-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-23) – Match statistics
- Fenerbahçe Medicana 0-3 Ziraat Bankkart (22-25, 21-25, 22-25) – Match statistics
- Sultanbeyli Belediyesi vs. On Hotels Alanya Belediyesi – Not played; official decision pending.