"Sultans of the Net" Won European Championship for the First Time in History

Nargiz Mammadzada

Defeating their strong opponent Serbia 3-2 in the cup final, Turkey Women’s National Volleyball Team – nicknamed ‘Sultans of the Net’ – became the 2023 Women’s European Volleyball Champions for the first time in their history!

Summary of the Match

“Melissa Vargas was one of the best players in the match with 41 points.”

The Sultans of the Net, who lost the first set with a score of 27-25, won the second set with a score of 25-21. Although Serbia finished the 3rd set ahead with a score of 25-25, the Sultans of the Net did not give up and went on to win the 4th set with a score of 25-22, carrying the match to the tie-break set. Sultans of the Net became the biggest in Europe by winning the final set with a score of 15-13. The match’s best player was Melissa Vargas with 41 points!

The First Set

Both teams started the match with mutual points. The middle of the set was passed with a score of 14-14. Serbia, who made fewer mistakes in these minutes, scored three points (18-15) in a row. However, the Turkish national team equalized 19-19 with the three-point series in Vargas’ service round, forcing Serbian Head Coach Giovanni Guidetti to call a timeout. Serbia went on to win the first set with a score of 27-25, taking a 1-0 lead.

The Second Set

In the second set, both teams played effectively on offence. Thus, the beginning of the set equalled 5-5. Capturing a two-point (6-8) lead with Captain Eda Erdem Dundar’s points, the Turkish national team increased this gap to four (11-15) towards the middle of the set – thanks to their strong defence. Continuing to maintain the difference (16-20) with Ebrar Karakurt’s points at the end of the set, the Sultans of the Net made Guidetti take his second timeout of the match. The Turkish national team ramped up the momentum by the end of the game. In the end, they finished the second set with a 25-21 score advantage.

The Third Set

Serbia got off to a strong offensive and defensive start in the third set, taking a two-point (5-3) lead early on. That said, Turkey immediately turned things around, finding a three-point series and taking the lead 6-5. After a 6-6 tie, the Turkish national team – who caught a five-point series in Vargas’ service round – took the lead 11-6. Capturing a four-point series with consecutive points and narrowing the gap to two (13-15), Serbia made Turkey Women’s National Volleyball Team Head Coach Daniele Santarelli take a time-out. Serbia continued to play well and tied the game at 19-19, despite Turkey extending the gap to four points once more (14-18). Playing well in the last points, Serbia won the third set from behind with a score of 25-22.

The Fourth Set

Starting the fourth set effectively, the Turkish national team caught a three-point (2-5) lead at the beginning of the game. However, Serbia, increasing their effectiveness in attack and defence after mutual points, closed the gap and took the lead with a score of 9-8. While the middle of the set continued with a 13-13 score, the Turkish national team caught a two-point series, taking the lead with a score of 15-13. Serbia closed the gap toward the end of the set and reclaimed equality at 18-18.

The Fifth Set

“Finally, they won the match with a score of 3-2.”

Starting the final set well, the Turkish national team caught a two-point (3-5) advantage, forcing Guidetti to take a time-out. Serbia tied the game at 5-5 after coming back from the break with a two-pointer. While mutual points were taken in the game, the last part of the set was entered with 10-10 equality. Capturing a two-point series, Turkey took the lead with a score of 12-10. The Turkish national team won the final set with a score of 15-13. Finally, they won the match with a score of 3-2.

Melissa Vargas

Leaving her mark on the championship, Melissa Vargas, who scored 41 points in the final match, was chosen as the “CEV EuroVolley 2023 Women Most Valuable Player”.

What did the team say?

Santarelli said: “My career started great here. We worked so hard, we are very proud. I only slept 2 hours a day.”

“I am very happy to be a part of the team that made history.”

Dundar added: “Sultans of the Net is having a very good season this summer in the 100th anniversary of our Republic. We are here with our second championship. I am very happy to be a part of the team that made history. We have been away from our homes for months. We strive for a single purpose and thank God we are the Champions of Europe.”

She continued: “It gives us incredible strength to see that we have united the whole country behind us and to see people supporting us on giant screens. Thank you very much to everyone.”

The Netherlands Won the Battle for Bronze

The Netherlands won the third-place match in the tournament, beating Italy 3-0. Netherlands won the bronze medal with sets 25-23, 28-26 and 25-20. Elena Pietrini, who scored 18 points in Italy, became the game’s top scorer. In the Netherlands, Nika Daalderop stood out in the Netherlands’ victory with 17 points.

You can watch the highlights of the game here:

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Featured image courtesy of Meg Jerrard on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Nargiz Mammadzada is the head of our Sports Section. She is from Baku, Azerbaijan, but currently lives in Gdansk, Poland. She also writes for various platforms in the United States, Australia, Canada and United Kingdom.

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