Türkiye reaches semifinals with victory over China

PARIS

The Turkish women’s volleyball team achieved a milestone on Aug. 6 by securing their first-ever semifinal berth at the Olympics with a dramatic 3-2 victory over China.

In a thrilling match at the South Paris Arena, Türkiye faced challenges with the Chinese defense early on, struggling offensively in the first set.

China capitalized on Türkiye’s inefficiencies, building a 24-20 lead in the tight contest. Despite a late push from the Turks, China held on to take the first set 25-23.

Determined to bounce back, Türkiye began the second set with a surge, scoring four of the first five points, including two aces. They maintained a strong offense throughout the set, holding a significant lead until China went on a 5-0 run, narrowing the gap to 22-21.

However, Türkiye overcame their unforced errors and defensive lapses, preventing China from scoring further and winning the set.

The third set saw Türkiye demonstrating their dominance, overpowering China with its aggressive play. The pivotal moment came with Türkiye leading 21-20 after a late push from China.

Melissa Vargas emerged as the star, doubling her points total to an impressive 30 by the end of the third set. She led Türkiye to a 26-24 victory and a 2-1 match lead.

China responded strongly in the fourth set, scoring seven of the first nine points and maintaining a 10-point lead at 18-8. Türkiye mounted an 11-3 run, closing the gap to 22-20. Despite the late surge, China managed to secure the set.

The fifth set lived up to the excitement of the preceding match. Both teams exchanged powerful plays in a tense and tight contest.

Ultimately, Türkiye made crucial plays behind the outstanding performance of Vargas, winning the set 15-12 and clinching a spot in the semifinals. Vargas scored eight points in the final set, finishing with an extraordinary 42 points for the night.

This victory marks Türkiye's first appearance in the Olympic semifinals. It was awaiting the winner of the Italy-Serbia quarterfinal later in the day.

Other matchups in the quarterfinals included Brazil facing the Dominican Republic and the United States taking on Poland.

"What a match," Turkish captain Eda Erdem told state broadcaster TRT. "Everyone on the court gave their best. We stayed united throughout the game."

She assured Turkish fans that the team would perform even better in the upcoming matches.

"This is my third Olympics, but from now on, this team will be at every Olympic Games. There will be players who play more than I did," Erdem said.

Erdem had previously become the first Turkish player to reach 100 points in the Olympics. With this match, Vargas became the second.

Türkiye's head coach Daniele Santarelli also praised the players' performance after the match.

"We didn't give up as a team. We didn't falter against a significant team like China," he said. "Our goal is to win the gold medal. We need Türkiye's support. They are a tremendous strength for us."

Türkiye faced a tough defeat against Italy in their third and final match of Group C on Aug. 4. Italy won the match 3-0, securing the top spot in the group while Türkiye finished in second place.

Türkiye had already secured their spot in the quarterfinals by winning its first two matches against the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic.