Azerbaijani women’s volleyball club Turan VC has signed South Korean twins Lee Jae-yeong and Lee Da-yeong, according to reports published by Xports News on February 7. The high-profile acquisitions reunite the sisters on the same roster for the first time since their stint with Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki in 2021.
Roster Overhaul Ahead of European Competition
Turan VC assembled a multi-national squad by securing several international stars in addition to the South Korean siblings, according to Xports News. The club added Chinese middle blocker Yang Hanwei, who stands 196 centimeters tall. Yang earned MVP and best blocker honors at the 2017 U-21 World Championship and secured the best blocker award in the Chinese league for the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 seasons, per Xports News reporting.
Veteran Cuban players Ana Ilian Cleger and Wilma Salas also joined the roster, according to Xports News. Cleger, an opposite spiker, was named to the tournament dream team as the best opposite spiker during the 2017–2018 CEV Champions League while playing for Romanian club Alba Blaj. Salas, an outside hitter standing 188 centimeters, brings prior experience from European clubs including Rabita Baku in Azerbaijan, Chemik Police in Poland, Olympiacos in Greece, and Roma in Italy, as noted by Xports News.
Additional squad additions include Japanese libero Minami Yoshioka, who previously played for German Bundesliga side VfB Suhl Lotto Thüringen, and 195-centimeter Azerbaijani national team middle blocker Mariya Kyrylyuk, according to Xports News.
Path to the CEV Champions League
Turan VC launched in 2025 and captured the Azerbaijan Women’s Super League title during its inaugural 2025–2026 season, earning the right to compete in the 2026–2027 CEV Women’s Champions League, according to Xports News reporting.
The club enters the Champions League in the second round scheduled for October, where it faces Croatian side Mladost Zagreb, according to Xports News. A victory in that round advances Turan VC to face the winner of the matchup between OK Herceg Novi of Montenegro and Bulgaria’s Maritza Plovdiv in the third round. To reach the fourth-round group stage against established European opponents, Turan VC must win both qualifying rounds, per Xports News.
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