The Turkish women’s volleyball team Tuesday captured the spotlight at the South Paris Arena with a thrilling 3-2 victory over China in the quarterfinals, earning their first-ever semifinal berth at the Olympics.
The Chinese force meant business at the beginning of the match, quickly establishing a 4-1 lead.
However, the Sultans of the Net rallied back with a 3-0 run thanks to key points from Hande Baladın, Melisa Vargas and Eda Erdem Dündar, leveling the score at 4-4.
The teams traded points, with the first set reaching ties at 8-8 and 15-15.
China’s superior serving enabled them to pull ahead by 4 points at 22-18.
Despite a late surge from Türkiye, China took the first set 25-23.
The Turkish team came out strong in the second set, jumping to a 4-1 lead that prompted a timeout from China’s head coach Bin Cai.
Daniele Santarelli's girls continued to dominate, extending their lead to 10-5 and forcing Cai to call another timeout.
Despite China’s efforts to close the gap, reducing it to 21-22, Türkiye held their nerve and won the set 25-21, leveling the match at 1-1.
The third set saw both teams exchanging points, with the score tied at 5-5. Türkiye, led by Melissa Vargas’s impressive serving, opened up a 5-9 lead and maintained a 5-point advantage at 9-14.
China clawed back, tying the set at 24-24, but Türkiye clinched the set 26-24 with crucial contributions from Vargas and Ebrar Karakurt, taking a 2-1 lead.
China dominated the early stages of the fourth set, establishing an 8-2 lead and extending it to 14-5.
Türkiye fought back with points from Derya Cebecioğlu, Meliha Diken, and Vargas to narrow the gap to 19-16.
However, China finished strong, winning the set 25-21 and leveling the match at 2-2.
In the decisive fifth set, both teams exchanged points, with Türkiye holding a slim 8-7 lead at the midpoint.
China continued their strong performance, but Türkiye emerged victorious with a 15-12 win in the tiebreaker, securing the match 3-2 and their spot in the semifinals.
Previously, Türkiye had finished ninth in London 2012 and were eliminated by South Korea in the quarterfinals at Tokyo 2020.
They will face the winner of the Italy-Serbia match in the semifinals on Aug. 8.
Türkiye's talisman Vargas ran wild as she led the scoring charts with 42 points, echoing her standout performance in the CEV European Championship final against Serbia where she scored 41 points.
Unfortunately, national setter Cansu Özbay, who was injured during the match, could not continue.
Additionally, Gizem Örge and Hande Baladın played through injuries.
Notable attendees watching the match included Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson Özgür Özel, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş.