Türkiye’s women’s national volleyball team is primed to electrify the South Paris Arena as they prepare to take on Italy in Thursday’s semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Sultans of the Net who suffered a 3-0 defeat to Italy in the group stage, will be all guns blazing, determined to avenge that loss.
With a record of two wins and a single loss in the group stages, Türkiye earned a spot in the quarterfinals, where they made history by reaching the semifinals for the first time, thanks to a nail-biting 3-2 victory over China.
If Türkiye triumph over Italy, they will compete for gold against the winner of the Brazil and USA match.
Familiar challenge
In the 2023 CEV European Volleyball Championship, Türkiye also met Italy in the semifinals.
On that occasion, Türkiye emerged victorious with a 3-2 win and went on to clinch the European title by defeating Serbia in the final.
Remarkable journey
On Tuesday, the Sultans of the Net made headlines by advancing to the Olympic semifinals with a thrilling 3-2 victory over China, featuring an outstanding performance by Cuban-born superstar Melissa Vargas.
Vargas scored an impressive 42 points, including 38 kills, in a match that ended 23-25, 25-21, 26-24, 21-25, 15-12.
Despite injuries plaguing the team, Vargas came close to breaking the record for the most points in an Olympic match, falling just two points short of Croatia’s Barbara Jelic’s record.
Türkiye's coach, Daniele Santarelli, praised his team's heart and resilience.
"We played with our hearts. Despite injuries and limitations, we’ve made it to the semifinals, and anything can happen from here," Santarelli said.
Italy, the top-ranked team, reached the semifinals by defeating Serbia in straight sets (26-24, 25-20, 25-20).
Athletics and wrestling
In high jump qualifiers, Turkish athlete Alperen Acet did not advance to the final, finishing 12th in his series with a jump of 2.20 meters at Stade de France.
In wrestling, Turkish competitor Ali Cengiz was defeated 5-3 by Poland’s Arkadiusz Marcin Kulynycz in the round of 16.
If Kulynycz advances to the final, Cengiz will have a chance to compete for a bronze medal through the repechage round.
In the mixed marathon relay, Turkish runners Mazlum Demir and Ayşe Tekdal finished 23rd with a time of 3:14:53 at Trocadero Plaza.
The gold went to Spain’s Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez with 2:50:31, silver to Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado and Glenda Morejon with 2:51:22, and bronze to Australia’s Rhydian Cowley and Jemima Montag with 2:51:38.