Türkiye defended their European women’s volleyball title on home floor, fighting back from two set deficits to edge world and Olympic champions Italy 3–2 inside the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.
Italy’s power silences the home crowd
Italy stormed into the final, taking the first set 25–16 behind crushing attacks from Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova. The visitors led 18–9 at one stage. The second set began with similar pressure as Italy raced to a 12–6 advantage, with Egonu already on 10 points.
One timeout, one run, and the match turns
Facing a potential sweep, the Turkish bench called a timeout that changed the contest’s temperature. Melissa Vargas hammered a kill that ignited a 5–0 scoring run, dragging the score back to 12–11. Turkey claimed the set 25–22, and the fight was on.
Italy refused to fade and snatched the third set 25–12 to lead the final for a second time. Again Turkey answered, levelling the match at two sets apiece with a 25–21 fourth-set push. The European crown came down to a 15-point tiebreak before a capacity crowd.
Vargas steps forward in the tiebreak
Vargas delivered the decisive blows in the fifth set, adding to her match total of 28 points as Turkey closed out the decider 15–10. She was later named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Libero Gizem Örge also earned a place on the All-Star Team.
This second straight European title, following the 2023 triumph against Serbia in Brussels, reversed the outcome of last year’s World Championship final in Bangkok where Italy beat them in another five-set duel. The victory also secured an Olympic berth for Los Angeles 2028.
On home floor, against the reigning world and Olympic champions, Turkey did not simply retain a trophy — they rewrote a rivalry on the highest continental stage.
