Turkish women atop European volleyball

ISTANBUL

The nation was in a jubilant mood on Sept. 4, buoyed by the success of the Turkish women’s volleyball national team the previous night.

Türkiye claimed a hard-fought victory at the Women’s European Volleyball Championship after beating Serbia in five sets in the final match.

In an encounter that swung one way and then the other at the Paleis 12 in Brussels, Belgium, Turkish women recovered to claim the final two sets to win 3-2.

Melissa Vargas, who scored 41 points in the final, was voted the "Most Valuable Player" of the tournament.

Tens of thousands of Turkish fans, who were in front of big screens set up in parks and squares across the country to watch the final, celebrated the victory on the streets until the early hours of Sept. 4.

"I am very happy to be part of the team that brought the European title to our country after the Nations League trophy on the 100th anniversary of our republic," team captain Eda Erdem said after the match.

Erdem also thanked the fans, who packed the venue in Brussels, and the millions of people who watched the game back at home.

“Turkish people have been incredibly supportive; we get love and support from everywhere,” Erdem said.

“We see beautiful pictures of our supporters, in the parks, in the squares... The country is in a great mood. We have made history. I'm so happy and proud.”

Türkiye coach Daniele Santarelli was delighted with the victory but still had more success in his mind.

Türkiye coach Daniele Santarelli was delighted with the victory but, at the same time, had the next big challenge in his mind: Olympic qualifiers.

“I am proud of this team. Today, we fought not only for ourselves but also for the Turkish people,” Santarelli told reporters.

“It is not easy to beat Italy and Serbia," he said. "We played the best game of the tournament. This team has achieved incredible things, and the Olympic qualifiers are next. I believe we can make it.”

Politicians also released messages to congratulate the women’s team for its success.

“I sincerely congratulate our National Women's Volleyball Team, the Sultans of the Net, for becoming 2023 CEV European Champions,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote on X.

The final match kept spectators on the edge of their seats from the get-go. The first set saw an extremely close competition, with each team momentarily leading by two points only to lose the advantage almost immediately. Despite Türkiye having the first set point at 24-23, Serbia managed to save it and eventually won the set 27-25.

The Turkish team, however, bounced back in the second set, maintaining the lead throughout and winning it 25-21.

They carried this momentum into the third set, leading 19-15 at one point, but the Serbian players turned the tables and secured a 25-22 win, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set was another nail-biter, with both teams fighting tooth and nail, but in the end, Türkiye emerged victorious with a 25-22 win.

The decisive fifth set saw Türkiye leading for most of the time, but it was a point-for-point battle until the very end.

Ultimately, Türkiye secured a 15-13 win, clinching the European title.