{"id":55521,"date":"2025-02-28T15:04:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T12:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/asam-brought-together-national-volleyball-players-zehra-gunes-and-piril-akdeniz-in-memory-of-two-teammates-separated-by-the-earthquake-zehra-gunes-volleyball-became-a-struggle-for-me-to-honor-the-m\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T16:34:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T13:34:51","slug":"asam-brought-together-national-volleyball-players-zehra-gunes-and-piril-akdeniz-in-memory-of-two-teammates-separated-by-the-earthquake-zehra-gunes-volleyball-became-a-struggle-for-me-to-honor-the-m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/asam-brought-together-national-volleyball-players-zehra-gunes-and-piril-akdeniz-in-memory-of-two-teammates-separated-by-the-earthquake-zehra-gunes-volleyball-became-a-struggle-for-me-to-honor-the-m\/","title":{"rendered":"Volleyball became a struggle for me to honor the memories of my friends who passed away in the earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

P\u0131r\u0131l and Ceren were two teammates who were separated by the earthquake. For them, volleyball was not just a sport; it was a form of struggle closely tied to the triumphs of the Sultans of the Net. The two 14-year-old friends, who had trained together just two days before the earthquake, had no idea that it would be their last practice together. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ceren Topal, Hatay Volleyball Sports Club player, lost her life in the earthquake. Afterwards, her teammate, P\u0131r\u0131l Akdeniz, took a break from volleyball but later resumed playing the sport, which she described as “a form of struggle.” National volleyball player Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f had played a Champions League match wearing the jersey of the late Ceren Topal, which had influenced P\u0131r\u0131l\u2019s decision. Honoring her friend\u2019s memory by playing volleyball, P\u0131r\u0131l Akdeniz came together with Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f months later at ASAM\u2019s event in Hatay. <\/p>\n\n

P\u0131r\u0131l and Ceren were two very close friends and young volleyball players who played together at Hatay Volleyball Sports Club. But, in the February 6 earthquake, Ceren Topal lost her life. Overcome with the pain of losing her friend who was extremely passionate about volleyball, P\u0131r\u0131l took a break from the sport. <\/p>\n\n

However, national volleyball player Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f\u2019s gesture of stepping onto the court with Ceren\u2019s jersey before the CEV Champions League quarter-final match against Lodz deeply affected P\u0131r\u0131l. Determined to keep Ceren\u2019s unfulfilled dream alive and make sure her name is remembered on the court, P\u0131r\u0131l decided to resume playing volleyball. <\/p>\n\n

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Highlighting that she no longer just plays for herself but also for Ceren, P\u0131r\u0131l came together with Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f in Hatay. During this emotional moment, national volleyball player Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f signed P\u0131r\u0131l\u2019s jersey in memory of Ceren, who passed away in the earthquake. <\/p>\n\n

We spoke with P\u0131r\u0131l, who conveyed that she feels stronger every time she senses that Ceren\u2019s dreams and the impact she made continue to live on\u2026<\/p>\n\n

The healing power of sports and solidarity was once again demonstrated in Hatay, where major losses occurred due to the earthquake. Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f came to Hatay, giving you all moral support. What does this mean for you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cAt first, I didn\u2019t think it was very likely that Zehra would come to Hatay. After all, this place is Hatay, and how safe could it be for a national player to come here? There were problems related to accommodation and many other challenges. But Zehra came here to boost our morale, a gesture that was truly priceless.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

How do the pleasant memories you shared with Ceren give you strength and motivation while keeping her memory alive?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cLosing Ceren was extremely difficult, and it’s hard to put into words. Knowing her, spending time with her as a friend was such a truly special feeling. She wasn\u2019t just my friend; she was also an important part of my life. Zehra stepping onto the court wearing Ceren\u2019s jersey was a precious gesture to keep Ceren\u2019s memory alive. At that very moment, I was very proud, and it was a gesture that warmed all of our hearts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

P\u0131r\u0131l expresses that keeping Ceren\u2019s memory alive has become her responsibility. Carrying the weight of surviving the February 6 disaster, the young volleyball player points out that she now considers volleyball as a means of struggle. <\/p>\n\n

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How has this period shaped your passion and motivation for volleyball? What kind of strength does keeping your friends\u2019 dreams alive give you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

“On February 4, we had played volleyball and practiced together with Ceren and two other friends. But on February 6, I lost all three of them. I\u2019m the only one left now, and I feel like it\u2019s up to me to carry on. There are no words to describe the pain of such a loss. But volleyball has become a way, a form of struggle for me to honor the memories of Ceren and my friends. With each training, I grow stronger as I strive to make their dreams come true. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Sultans of the Net Have Always Been an Inspiration to Me\u201dVolleyball is not just a sport for me; it\u2019s a part of my life, my passion. Since childhood, my interest in volleyball has never faded. Being on the volleyball court gives me strength, not only physically but also mentally. It teaches me so many things. I\u2019ve acquired new qualities that have a significant place in my life; not just teamwork, determination, and patience, but also discipline and concentration.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

\u201cThe Sultans of the Net Have Always Been an Inspiration to Me\u201d<\/h3>\n\n

How have the Sultans of the Net been a source of inspiration for you, and how have their stories influenced your volleyball career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Sultans of the Net have always been a great source of inspiration for me. The struggle, dedication and success they displayed on the court have always motivated me to do better. Knowing that they too were once children and taking inspiration from their journey to achieving their dreams has further strengthened my dream of becoming a professional volleyball player. From that moment on, I\u2019ve always told myself, \u201cOne day, I want to be on that court as well\u201d.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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P\u0131r\u0131l expresses that she will do everything in her power to keep Ceren\u2019s memory alive and, to describe her feelings, concludes with the following words:<\/p>\n\n

\u201cKeeping Ceren\u2019s memory alive is very important for me. I visit her grave and share with her how I feel. I also do live broadcasts to honor her memory, making sure that she is always present. I will do everything I can to always remember Ceren and keep her memory alive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SGDD-ASAM brought together P\u0131r\u0131l Akdeniz, who lost her teammate Ceren Topal in the earthquake, with national volleyball player Zehra G\u00fcne\u015f.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[280],"tags":[276,275],"class_list":["post-55521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sgdd-asam-en","tag-asam-en","tag-sgdd-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55521"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55558,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55521\/revisions\/55558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgdd.org.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}