Shaoxing, China, December 3, 2018 - Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul of Turkey take on Altay Volleyball Club of Kazakhstan in their first match in the 2018 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship.
Head-to-Head· Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul and Altay Volleyball Club meet for the first time at the Club World Championship as Altay are making their debut in the competition.
· Eczacibasi play a team from Kazakhstan for the first time at the Club World Championship.
Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul· Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul make their fourth appearance at the Club World Championship. Only Osasco (6), Voléro Zürich (5) and Vakifbank Istanbul (5 in 2018) have made more appearances.
· Eczacibasi won the competition in 2015 and 2016, while placing fourth in 2017.
· Their two titles are a joint-record in the competition, alongside Vakifbank (2013, 2017).
· Eczacibasi have lost their last two matches at the Club World Championship, a 3-1 defeat to Vakifbank in the semifinals and a 3-2 loss against Voléro Zürich in the third-place decider.
· Eczacibasi have lost all three Club World Championship matches in which they lost the opening set.
· Eczacibasi have won the Turkish Volleyball League (since 1983) a record 17 times, but not since 2011/12. They won the Champions League in 2014/15.
Altay Volleyball Club· Altay Volleyball Club are making their debut at the Club World Championship.
· Altay are the first team from Kazakhstan to participate at the Club World Championship, on either the men's or women's side.
· Altay won the national title in Kazakhstan in 2017/18. They also won the 2017 and 2018 Kazakhstan Cup.
· Altay have finished fourth in the last three editions of the Asian club championship.