Türkiye’s women’s national volleyball team moved one step closer to continental glory Thursday, defeating Germany 3-1 to book a place in the semifinals of the 2026 European Championship.
Led by another commanding performance from Melissa Vargas, the Sultans of the Net prevailed 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22 to set up a semifinal showdown with Serbia on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Türkiye came out firing behind Vargas and quickly established control of the opening set. A 15-10 advantage forced Germany into its second timeout, but the break did little to slow the Turkish attack. Türkiye kept Germany at arm’s length and comfortably closed out the set 25-18.
Germany responded immediately in the second, racing to a 6-1 lead as Türkiye struggled defensively. The Sultans of the Net regrouped after a timeout and gradually chipped away at the deficit, with captain Eda Erdem providing a presence at the net and Derya Cebecioğlu helping cut the gap to two points.
Germany, however, held its nerve in the decisive rallies and took the set 25-22 to level the match at 1-1.
