Türkiye’s Sultans of Net rally past Canada to reach VNL semifinals

Türkiye recovered from a slow start to defeat Canada 3-1 on Thursday and book their place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals, continuing the country’s rise as one of the sport’s global powers.

The reigning European champions dropped the opening set before taking control of the match in Macao, China, winning the next three sets through disciplined defense, aggressive serving and a balanced attack to keep their title hopes alive.

After Canada edged the first set 25-22, Türkiye responded with back-to-back 25-21 victories before pulling away in the fourth set for a convincing 25-17 finish.

The victory sends the “Sultans of the Net” into the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the United States and China quarterfinal.

Match summary

Türkiye 3, Canada 1

• 22-25
• 25-21
• 25-21
• 25-17

Daniele Santarelli’s side showed their trademark resilience after falling behind early.

They tightened their blocking, improved their serve pressure and found greater attacking efficiency as the match wore on, leaving Canada with few answers in the final two sets.

The fourth set was particularly dominant, with Türkiye opening a comfortable lead before closing out the contest to secure another semifinal appearance on the international stage.

Another deep run for Türkiye

Türkiye entered the knockout stage after finishing fourth in the preliminary round with nine wins and 25 points, earning one of the eight places in the VNL Finals.

Canada also impressed during the league phase to reach the quarterfinals, but their campaign ended against a Turkish side that has consistently delivered on the biggest stages in recent years.

The latest victory adds another milestone to a golden era for Turkish women’s volleyball. The national team captured both the 2023 Volleyball Nations League title and the 2023 CEV European Championship, establishing themselves among the world’s elite alongside Italy, Brazil, the United States and China.

Led by a talented core that includes Melissa Vargas, Zehra Güneş, Hande Baladın, Ebrar Karakurt, Gizem Örge and Ceren Özbay, Türkiye once again demonstrated the depth and composure that have become hallmarks of the program.

Momentum builds

The Women’s Volleyball Nations League features the world’s top national teams and offers valuable FIVB ranking points ahead of future international competitions, including the World Championship and Olympic qualification cycles.

By advancing to the final four, Türkiye not only keep their championship ambitions alive but also reinforce their status as one of the strongest teams in international volleyball.