The Turkish women's national volleyball team was on fire on Thursday as they secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a commanding 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic.
After a rocky start, the "Sultans of the Net" rallied to win three consecutive sets and confirm their place in the knockout stages.
At the South Paris Arena, the match began with the Dominican Republic taking an early 8-4 lead.
Despite a spirited comeback effort from the Turks who narrowed the gap to 11-17, the Dominican side took the first set 25-21.
The tide turned in the second set.
The Sultans surged ahead, led by strong performances from Eda Erdem Dündar and the usual suspect Melissa Vargas.
After a brief challenge from the Dominicans, Türkiye reasserted control with a 7-1 run, winning the set 25-18 to level the match.
In the third set, Türkiye's dominance was evident as they built a 15-8 lead, thanks to contributions from Vargas and Zehra Güneş.
Despite a late rally from the Dominican Republic, Türkiye held on to win 25-22, taking a 2-1 lead.
The fourth set saw Türkiye's superior play shine through. Zehra and Vargas quickly built a 5-1 lead, and with Eda's offensive prowess and Zehra's defensive efforts, Türkiye closed out the match 25-15, winning the set and the match 3-1.
Ilkin Aydın, making her Olympic debut, praised her teammates' resilience.
"The Olympic stage is tough," Aydın said. "The Dominican Republic put up a strong fight, but we adjusted our game after the first set and turned it around." Aydın, who didn't play in the Netherlands match, emphasized the importance of maintaining high performance levels throughout the tournament.
Addressing the early morning matches, Aydın noted: "Waking up at 5 a.m. is challenging, but it’s part of our preparation. We’ve trained hard, and that makes these early starts manageable."
Aydın also highlighted the team’s attacking strength, particularly praising Vargas's versatile and powerful play. "When we gain a good lead, our attack becomes unstoppable," she added.
The Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ expressed his gold medal ambitions, reflecting on the team’s journey so far.
"We showed great character coming back from 2-0 against the Netherlands. Today, we started slow but rebounded quickly. We’ve secured our place in the quarterfinals and are aiming for a strong performance against Italy," he said.
Üstündağ commended the team’s effort and resilience, highlighting the significance of their supporters. "The unity and support from our fans are incredible. We’re only at the beginning, and we’re focused on reaching the finals."
In other news, reigning Olympic champion, boxer Busenaz Sürmeneli showcased her dominance once again at the Paris 2024 Games, securing a quarterfinal spot with a decisive 4-1 victory over Poland’s Aneta Rygielska in the women’s 66 kg. last 16 round.
Sürmeneli’s win at the North Paris Arena propels her into the next stage, where she will face Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng on Saturday.
In athletics, Meryem Bekmez finished 40th in the women’s 20-kilometer walk with a time of 1:38:06.
The gold medal went to China’s Jiayu Yang (1:25:54), silver to Spain’s Maria Perez (1:26:19), and bronze to Australia’s Jamima Montag (1:26:25).
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay team, comprising Ecem Dönmez, Ela Naz Özdemir, Gizem Güvenç, and Zehra Duru Bilgin, finished 16th overall, missing out on the finals with a time of 8:05.18.
