Turkish Women's National Volleyball Team becomes European champion by defeating Italy

Facing Italy in the Trendyol 2026 European Championship final held at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, the Turkish Women's National Volleyball Team won the fiercely contested match 3-2 to secure their second consecutive European championship.

Details of the Final Match

Starting the match played at Istanbul Sinan Erdem Sports Hall effectively, Italy maintained its dominance throughout the first set, beating Turkey 25-16 to take a 1-0 lead in the final match.

Taking control of the game in the second set, Turkey managed to bring the score to 1-1 by winning the set 25-22 with an impressive performance.

Regaining the upper hand in the third set, Italy won the set 25-12 to take a 2-1 lead in the match, but Turkey took the fourth set 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2.

Gaining the upper hand over their opponent in the tie-break set, the Turkish Women's National Volleyball Team won the match 3-2 and reached the European championship.

Second Consecutive Championship

Following the championship they won in 2023, Turkey defended their title in 2026 to win their second gold medal in the European Championship.

Dream Team Awards

During the ceremony held after the match, awards were presented to the tournament's dream team, and Turkey's Melissa Vargas was selected as the Most Valuable Player.

Melissa Vargas, Derya Cebecioğlu, Zehra Güneş, and Gizem Örge from Turkey were included in the dream team, while Daniele Santarelli was selected as the head coach.

Direct Qualification for the Olympics

With this championship, the Turkish Women's National Volleyball Team earned the right to directly participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Having secured their participation in Los Angeles 2028 following the London 2012, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the national team will represent Turkey at the Olympic Games for the third consecutive time.