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Türkiye’s national women’s volleyball team completed the group stage of the 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship without losing a single set.
The “Sultans of the Net” defeated Canada 3-0 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Wednesday to secure first place in Group E.
The team had already guaranteed a place in the last 16 after victories over Spain and Bulgaria. The win against Canada confirmed their top spot and set up a clash with Slovenia in the next round.
Türkiye won the match with set scores of 25-21, 27-25, and 25-13.
Canada challenged strongly in the second set, but Türkiye held firm. “We kept our focus and did not make mistakes at key points,” team members said after the match, according to local reports.
Melissa Vargas, Ebrar Karakurt, and Zehra Gunes played decisive roles in closing the gap when Canada built an early lead in the second set.
Captain Eda Erdem, who started for the first time in this tournament, scored 13 points and became the team’s second-highest scorer of the match.
Türkiye won all three of its group matches against Spain, Bulgaria, and Canada in straight sets.
It is the first time the team has completed a World Championship group stage unbeaten since joining the competition in 2006.
Head coach Daniele Santarelli rotated the squad in earlier matches, but against Canada he relied on experienced names including Erdem, Karakurt, and Vargas. The match lasted 73 minutes.
The round of 16 will take place between Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. Türkiye will face Slovenia, which finished second in Group D.
The match is scheduled for Sept. 1 in Bangkok, with the exact start time to be announced by the FIVB.
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