Ziraat Bankkart Ankara Signs Yuki Ishikawa to Replace Fornal

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara has signed Japanese outside hitter Yuki Ishikawa to fill the gap left by Tomasz Fornal's departure ahead of the 2026-27 season. The Turkish club, which continues to target a Champions League title, brought in Ishikawa, a two-time winner of the competition.

Ishikawa returns after a difficult club season, though he performed well at the Nations League, including a standout performance in the semifinal loss to the United States. He previously captained Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, where he had earlier formed a strong partnership with Kamil Semeniuk.

The 30-year-old began his volleyball career at Seijoh High School in Japan before moving to Italy in 2014, debuting for Parmareggio Modena. He returned to Japan from 2014 to 2018 to join Chuo University, then went back to Italy, where he remained through the end of the 2025-26 season, playing for Emma Villas Siena, Kioene Padova, and Allianz Milano before reaching Perugia.

Ishikawa's sister, outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa, is also moving to Turkey after spending recent seasons in Italy.