The Turkish women’s volleyball team made history on 6 September by winning their second consecutive European Championship after beating Italy 3–2 in a thrilling final played at a packed Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul.
Turkey and Italy faced off for the title in a closely contested final that ended in victory for the Turkish side by 16–25, 25–22, 12–25, 25–21 and 15–10. The Turkish women’s team thus successfully defended the title they won in 2023, whilst Italy had to settle for the silver medal.
Italy dominated the first set
The match began with an exchange of points that kept the score level until 6–6. However, Italy subsequently built up a nine-point lead thanks to a spike by Egonu, which brought the score to 18–9. With Egonu and Antropova leading the Italian attack, the Italian side maintained their dominance and took the first set 16–25 following another spike by Danesi.
The Italians also started the second set in the lead and, with two consecutive aces from Egonu, took a 9–5 lead. Following a spike by Antropova, the lead was subsequently extended to 6-12.
Things were looking difficult for the Filenin Sultanları (“The Sultanas of the Net”) in the final, but after a time-out, Turkey fought back with a 5–0 run thanks to a spike by Vargas and reduced the deficit to a single point, 12–11. The Turkish side regained their attacking sharpness and managed to take the lead for the first time in the set following a block by Zehra Güneş, bringing the score to 20–21, before closing out the set 25–22.
Turkey forced a fifth set and claimed the title
Italy regained control in the third set with a 6-0 run that began with a block by Fahr, taking the score to 8-2. The Italian team continued to dictate play and built an 11-point lead following two consecutive aces from Antropova, bringing the score to 8-19. A spike by Egonu extended the lead to 12 points and the Italians went on to stretch it to 13 points, taking the set 12–25.
Buoyed by the strong support of their fans, Turkey started the fourth set with a 3–0 lead and entered the closing stages with a 21–18 lead. A well-placed spike from Vargas allowed the Turks to close out the set 25–21 and force a fifth set.
Finally, the Turkish team dominated the fifth set from start to finish, winning 15–10 and defeating Italy 3–2 in the final. Thus, the Turkish women’s volleyball team won the 2026 European Women’s Volleyball Championship for the second time, having suffered just one defeat throughout the entire tournament.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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