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The Turkish national women’s volleyball team secured its sixth consecutive win in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) after beating Canada in straight sets at Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul.
The match on June 19 ended 3–0 in favor of Türkiye, with set scores of 25–16, 25–18, and 26–24.
With this result, Türkiye remains undefeated in the tournament. The team had already defeated France, Thailand, Poland, China, and the Dominican Republic. The win over Canada marked the second victory in the Istanbul leg of the competition.
Türkiye started the match against Canada with high energy and control.
Melissa Vargas led the team with 20 points. Ebrar Karakurt followed with 11 points. Türkiye also recorded nine aces and eight blocks during the match. The game lasted 84 minutes.
The full squad for the second week of the 2025 VNL, as listed by the federation, includes:
Head coach Daniele Santarelli addressed his approach after the match, explaining that his focus is on creating a full-team system. “I don’t see the team as just 14 players. We have a squad of 18–20 athletes and I want them all to grow together,” he said.
He explained that he continues to rotate players because he wants the entire group to adapt to the same game plan. “Most teams find a starting six and keep them. But I want every player to feel they must earn the jersey. That is the only way to build a real team,” Santarelli said.
He also mentioned that some athletes are in the process of regaining their rhythm. “Players like Vargas and Zehra need both court time and recovery. They haven’t played in a while, so finding rhythm is key,” he added.
In the Istanbul stage, Santarelli gave playing time to players who had not participated in the first stage in China. Vargas, Karakurt, Zehra Gunes, and Gizem Orge all returned to the lineup.
Türkiye will play its next VNL match on Saturday, June 21, against South Korea. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m. local time at Sinan Erdem Dome. South Korea has one win and four losses in the tournament.
On Sunday, Türkiye will play against Brazil at the same venue and time.
So far, Türkiye has achieved the following results in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League:
After the Istanbul phase, the team will travel to Apeldoorn, Netherlands, to play the third leg of the group stage. Matches against the Netherlands, Czechia, Italy, and Serbia are scheduled between July 9 and 13.
Week 2 (Istanbul, Türkiye)
Week 3 (Apeldoorn, Netherlands)
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