Türkiye’s women’s volleyball team have reclaimed the FIVB Volleyball Nations League crown after producing a thrilling comeback victory over Brazil in the final in Macao.
The “Sultans of the Net” recovered from losing the opening set to defeat the South American giants 3-1 — 23-25, 25-23, 26-24 and 25-21 — on Sunday, 26 July, securing the prestigious international title for the second time in three years.
Star opposite Melissa Vargas was again at the heart of Türkiye’s success, scoring 33 points — 27 in attack, three from blocks and three aces — the highest total recorded by any player in a men’s or women’s VNL final.
Vargas, who had also been named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player when Türkiye won their first VNL title in 2023, collected the award for a second time. Hande Baladın added 19 points in the final and İlkin Aydın contributed 15.
Brazil had led for much of the opening set before withstanding a late Turkish fightback to take it 25-23. Türkiye responded by edging an equally close second set, with Baladın producing a crucial block before Vargas struck the winning point.
The third set proved pivotal. Vargas scored 11 points as Türkiye prevailed 26-24, before Daniele Santarelli’s players held their nerve in the fourth. Brazil recovered from six points behind to briefly lead 19-18, but Türkiye regained control and setter Elif Şahin sealed the championship with a clever second-touch attack.
An emotional Gizem Örge, who captained the team in Macao, revealed after the final that she had played despite significant pain in her knee.
“I am so proud of everyone who put in efforts for this team,” the libero said. “We did an amazing job. I am so happy.”
Türkiye peak at the right moment
Türkiye had qualified for the eight-team Finals after finishing fourth in the preliminary standings with nine victories from 12 matches and 25 points.
Their campaign included a perfect four-match home leg in Ankara, culminating in a five-set victory over China. They then secured their place in Macao by defeating Japan in a decisive preliminary-round encounter.
In the knockout stage, Türkiye came from a set down to beat Canada 3-1 in the quarterfinals, with Vargas scoring 27 points. They followed that with an emphatic 3-0 semi-final victory over hosts China, as Vargas delivered another 23 points and İlkin Aydın scored 15.
Victory over Brazil completed an increasingly impressive international record for a generation that has transformed Türkiye into one of the dominant forces in women’s volleyball.
The breakthrough year of 2023
Türkiye’s rise accelerated when Santarelli became head coach at the start of 2023, replacing Giovanni Guidetti, whose six-year tenure had included European and Nations League medals but no major international title.
The Italian arrived having led Serbia to the 2022 World Championship and immediately delivered the most successful season in Türkiye’s volleyball history.
Türkiye defeated China 3-1 in the 2023 Nations League final in Arlington, Texas, to win their first global title. Vargas, who had only recently become eligible to represent Türkiye internationally, was named both the tournament’s MVP and best opposite, while Gizem Örge was selected as best libero and Zehra Güneş as one of its leading middle blockers.
Only weeks later, Türkiye confirmed that the VNL triumph was no isolated success by winning their first European Championship.
They overcame defending world champions Serbia 3-2 in a dramatic final in Brussels, with Vargas scoring an extraordinary 41 points. Türkiye completed the competition with eight victories from eight matches.
Olympic disappointment followed by historic world silver
The two seasons following that golden summer brought frustration as well as further landmarks.
Türkiye’s defence of their Nations League title ended in the 2024 quarterfinals, where they lost a five-set match to Poland despite Vargas scoring 39 points.
At the Paris Olympics later that summer, however, Türkiye reached the women’s volleyball semi-finals for the first time in the country’s history.
They were beaten by eventual champions Italy in the last four before losing the bronze-medal match 3-1 to Brazil, leaving them fourth overall. Although they returned home without a medal, it was still Türkiye’s best Olympic volleyball performance.
The 2025 Nations League brought another narrow quarterfinal defeat, this time against Japan, who prevailed 3-2 in Łódź.
Türkiye responded at the World Championship in Thailand by reaching the final for the first time. They defeated Japan 3-1 in the semi-final, with Vargas contributing 28 points, before pushing Olympic champions Italy to five sets in the gold-medal match.
Italy ultimately won 3-2 — 25-23, 13-25, 26-24, 19-25 and 15-8 — but Türkiye’s silver represented the country’s first World Championship medal.
The 2026 VNL victory therefore means Türkiye have now reached the final of the three biggest annual or biennial international competitions during Santarelli’s tenure: winning the Nations League twice and EuroVolley once, while finishing second at the World Championship.
Evolution rather than revolution
Continuity of personnel has been key, with no change of head coach or wholesale dismantling of the side that emerged in 2023. Santarelli remains in charge, while Vargas, Örge, Güneş, Baladın, Aydın, Cansu Özbay and Elif Şahin continue to form the team’s core.
There has, however, been a gradual transition around them.
Long-serving captain Eda Erdem did not take part in the 2026 Nations League, with Örge assuming the captaincy. Erdem has not announced her international retirement and has said that her immediate ambition is to support Türkiye at the European Championship, although she remains non-committal about whether she will continue through to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Another of Türkiye’s biggest names, Ebrar Karakurt, was included in the initial 30-player VNL squad but did not feature in the Finals roster in Macao.
Her absence gave greater responsibility to Türkiye’s outside hitters, and Baladın and Aydın responded with consistently important contributions during the knockout matches.
Trinidad and Tobago-born middle blocker Sinead Jack-Kısal, one of the newer additions to the national set-up, has also become an increasingly valuable option. She scored 14 points in the vital preliminary-round victory over Japan and was part of the side that reached the 2025 World Championship final.
Younger middle blockers Deniz Uyanık and Berka Buse Özden were also included in the Macao squad, while Defne Başyolcu provided another emerging option in attack. Their involvement allowed Türkiye to widen the player pool while continuing to compete for the title.
European title defence awaits in Istanbul
Türkiye will have little time to celebrate before turning their attention to the CEV Women’s European Volleyball Championship, which starts on 21 August.
As defending champions and one of the tournament’s principal hosts, Türkiye will play their pool matches in Istanbul against Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary and Latvia. Istanbul will also stage knockout matches, including the semi-finals and medal contests, with the final taking place on 6 September.
Winning the Nations League provides an important psychological boost before that title defence. It also demonstrated that Türkiye can overcome the absence of established stars, use a wider squad and still defeat elite opponents such as Brazil and China under the pressure of knockout volleyball.
Beyond EuroVolley lies the 2027 global championship in the United States and Canada, which the FIVB has renamed the Volleyball World Cup. Having finished second to Italy in 2025, Türkiye will travel there seeking the only major world title that has so far eluded this generation.
The victory in Macao suggests their golden period is far from over. More significantly, with established stars still performing at their peak and younger players gaining international experience, Türkiye appear increasingly capable of sustaining their success well beyond a single generation.
