Türkiye’s women’s volleyball team have successfully defended their European crown after defeating reigning world and Olympic champions Italy in a pulsating five-set final in Istanbul.
The Filenin Sultanları / Sultans of the Net came from behind twice to triumph 3-2 (16-25, 25-22, 12-25, 25-21, 15-10) at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Sunday, 6 September, becoming back-to-back CEV European champions.
Roared on by a capacity crowd of 17,299, Türkiye recovered after Italy dominated the first and third sets, levelling the match on both occasions before producing a commanding performance in the deciding tie-break.
Melissa Vargas and veteran captain Eda Erdem led the charge as Türkiye raced into an 8-4 advantage in the final set before wrapping up the title 15-10, sparking huge celebrations inside the arena.
Vargas finished with 28 points, level with Italian superstar Paola Egonu as the match’s highest scorer and was subsequently crowned Most Valuable Player of EuroVolley 2026.
Turkish teammates Gizem Örge, Zehra Güneş and Derya Cebecioğlu were also named in the tournament’s All-Star Team.
The victory was especially sweet for Türkiye after Italy had defeated them 3-2 in another dramatic five-set encounter in last year’s FIVB World Championship final in Bangkok.
Türkiye’s latest success sees them retain the historic first European title they won in Brussels in 2023 and adds to an outstanding 2026 season. Daniele Santarelli’s side were also crowned Volleyball Nations League champions in July, beating Brazil in the final, with Vargas again named MVP.
Türkiye captain Eda Erdem said after Sunday’s triumph: “I think the whole of Türkiye should be proud of this group and of what we have achieved.”
Winning EuroVolley has also secured Türkiye automatic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where the Sultans of the Net will make their fourth Olympic appearance. They narrowly missed out on a medal at Paris 2024, finishing fourth.
