Turkish women eye final at home in volleyball Euros
Defending champion Türkiye will face archrival Serbia on Sept. 5 in the semifinals of the 2026 CEV Women’s European Volleyball Championship, aiming to make it to the final before a host crowd in Istanbul.
The high-stakes matchup comes after Türkiye secured its place in the final four with a 3-1 victory (25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22) over Germany on Sept. 3 night. Serbia earned its spot by sweeping Greece 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-17) in Brno, Czech Republic, on Sept. 2.
Addressing reporters following the quarterfinal victory, head coach Daniele Santarelli acknowledged the intense stakes of the knockout stage.
“Quarterfinal matches are always troublesome, and we felt a bit of pressure,” Santarelli said. “Either you lose, or you keep playing for a medal. We got a bit tense in the final set, but overall it was a good performance.”
