Middle Blocker Robin de Kruijf Joins Vakifbank

As far as we know, Vakifbank paid A LOT OF MONEY to Robin’s former Italian club team, Piacenza, to complete the transfer.

Thank to Robin’s agent, Theo Hofland, who made the deal possible.

Per cev.lu:

VakifBank ISTANBUL announced their first transfer for the 2014/2015 season only one week after retaining their title in the Turkish national league. Dutch middle-blocker Robin de Kruijf signed for Turkey’s Volleyball heavyweight to join the ranks of the 2013 club world champions and silver medalists from the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League.
23-year old de Kruijf has been a member of the Dutch national team since 2008 and just won the Italian national league with Rebecchi Nordmeccanica PIACENZA.

“I am evidently very happy to join one of the best teams in the world, last year’s world and European champions,” de Kruijf said. She will be wearing the jersey nr 15 to pay tribute to the memory of her late compatriot and long-time member of the Dutch national team, Ingrid Visser, who was murdered last year in Spain.

“We are planning to have a very strong and energetic team for the next season and Robin – a long-time member of the Dutch national team and winner of the Italian national league this year with PIACENZA – is the perfect addition to our group. She is a young and talented player. We believe that she will contribute to the further success of our club and hope that she will stay with us for many years,” said the Chairman of VakifBank Sports Club Osman Demren.

The 192-cm tall de Kruijf started her career back home in the Netherlands playing for Heutinck Pollux, Dela Martinus and TVC Amstelveen before moving first to Germany and play for DRESDNER SC and then to Italy where she joined the ranks of PIACENZA. With the Dutch national team she claimed silver at the 2009 European Championship in Poland; in 2009/2010 she won both the national cup and national league in the Netherlands while playing for TVC Amstelveen; she is also a champion of the Italian national league (in 2014) with Rebecchi Nordmeccanica PIACENZA.

FYI: Robin has replaced German middle blocker Christiane Furst.