Türkiye defeated Italy in a dramatic final and defended the European champions' title
The Türkiye women's national volleyball team defended its European championship title after defeating Italy 3:2 in Istanbul on September 6, 2026, in one of the most dramatic EuroVolley finals of recent years. At Sinan Erdem Sports Hall, the home team twice trailed in sets, but came back both times and turned the match against the reigning Olympic and world champions in the decisive fifth set. According to official data from the European Volleyball Confederation CEV, the final score was 16:25, 25:22, 12:25, 25:21 and 15:10, and the match lasted 122 minutes. The final was watched by 17,299 spectators, which CEV highlighted in its match report as a record attendance. With the victory, Türkiye won its second consecutive European title, following its first gold medal in 2023, while at the same time securing direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The central figure of the final was Melissa Vargas. The Türkiye opposite scored 28 points, the same number as Italian star Paola Egonu, but it was Vargas who carried the greatest share of the attacking burden in the closing stages and was named the most valuable player of the entire European Championship after the final. CEV states that Vargas recorded 26 attack points and two blocks in the final, while her performance in the fourth and fifth sets was crucial to the comeback. In the official selection of the championship's best team, she also received the award for best opposite. In the biggest match of the tournament, Türkiye therefore got exactly what it needed: efficiency from its main attacker, stability in defence and mental toughness after two extremely poor sets.
Italy dominated the first and third sets
The start of the final belonged to Italy, who arrived in Istanbul with an exceptionally strong record of results behind them. Julio Velasco's team won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and then the world championship title in Bangkok in 2025, where they also defeated Türkiye in the final after five sets. In the first set of the European final, the Italians quickly imposed their serve and block, and according to CEV's report, a run of points on Alessia Orro's serve took them from 11:8 to 18:9. Türkiye struggled to find clean attacking situations, while Italy closed the set convincingly at 25:16. Such a development suggested that the reigning world champions would once again impose the rhythm that had brought them success at the biggest competitions.
The second set initially looked similar. Italy led 12:6, with a strong contribution from Egonu, but Türkiye gradually reduced the deficit and improved the quality of its block and defence. CEV states that the home team levelled at 15:15, then took its first lead of the match with a block at 21:20, and Vargas finished the set at 25:22. That comeback had particular significance because Türkiye not only levelled the match at 1:1, but for the first time showed that it could survive periods of Italian dominance and turn the match back in its favour. Tactically, Derya Cebecioğlu also made an important contribution, with coach Daniele Santarelli using her as an additional option in reception and attack.
Italy nevertheless responded in the third set with an almost perfect stretch of play. Egonu and Orro returned to the leading roles, the defence once again shut down Türkiye's most dangerous attacking routes, and the score very quickly moved to 8:2. According to CEV's official statistics, the Italians maintained a high level of play until the end and won the set by as much as 25:12. It was the most convincing set of the entire final and a moment when it seemed that Italy had once again taken complete control. But it was precisely after that heavy defeat that Türkiye's greatest quality in the final became apparent: the ability to leave the result of the previous set behind and start the next one without any visible drop in confidence.
The comeback began with a strong start to the fourth set
Türkiye opened the fourth set aggressively and took a 10:3 lead, immediately changing the psychological tone of the match. Italy managed to close the gap to 17:16 and threatened to finish the final in four sets, but the home team did not allow a complete comeback. In its report, CEV singles out one long rally that Hande Baladın finished for 22:18, after which Türkiye maintained its advantage and won 25:21. Elif Şahin scored the final point of the set, meaning the European championship would be decided in a tie-break. It was the second consecutive major final between Türkiye and Italy to go to a fifth set, following the 2025 World Championship final.
In the fifth set, Türkiye looked more decisive. After the opening tie at 4:4, the home team began to create a gap, changed ends with a more noticeable advantage and no longer allowed Italy to come back. CEV states that Vargas and captain Eda Erdem scored four points each in the deciding set, while Türkiye closed it out 15:10. According to the official match data, the total points score was 103:93 for Italy, which further illustrates the unusual dynamics of the match: the Italians won more points overall thanks to their extremely convincing victories in the first and third sets, but Türkiye won the three sets that decided the title. In volleyball, the winner is determined by the number of sets won, so the overall points total does not necessarily reflect the final outcome.
Vargas and Egonu both finished with 28 points
The duel between the two elite opposites was one of the main stories of the final. Volleyball World states that Vargas and Egonu both finished with 28 points, while the Italian international added two aces and four blocks to her attacking contribution. Ekaterina Antropova contributed 16 points for Italy and Myriam Sylla 12, while Zehra Güneş recorded 12 for Türkiye. The numbers confirm how much of the attacking play of both teams was concentrated on their strongest attacking options, but the closing stages belonged to Türkiye, who controlled reception, defence and the transition from defence to attack better in the tie-break. Vargas maintained her efficiency even in the moments of greatest pressure.
Her MVP title was not tied only to the final. The Turkish Volleyball Federation announced that, in addition to being named the most valuable player, Vargas was also selected as the best opposite of the tournament, while four other members of the Turkish national team or coaching staff received individual awards. Gizem Örge was named the best libero, Zehra Güneş one of the best middle blockers, Derya Cebecioğlu one of the best outside hitters, and Daniele Santarelli the best coach. The ideal team also included the Italians Alessia Orro as the best setter and Myriam Sylla as one of the best outside hitters, while Serbian international Hena Kurtagić was selected among the middle blockers. Such a distribution of awards also reflects the final standings of the tournament, in which Türkiye, Italy and Serbia won the medals.
Second European title and confirmation of Türkiye's rise
For Türkiye, this is the second European championship title in its history and the second in a row. It won its first gold in Brussels in 2023, when it also defeated Serbia in the final after five sets. Volleyball World states that with the triumph in Istanbul, Türkiye reached its seventh medal at the European Championships. CEV also highlighted that it became the first host nation to win the women's EuroVolley in front of its home crowd since Serbia did so in Belgrade in 2011. For captain Eda Erdem, the title carries additional symbolism because this was her tenth EuroVolley appearance, and she now has two European gold medals in her collection.
The result further confirms Türkiye's continuity among the world's leading national teams. Daniele Santarelli's team also won the Volleyball Nations League in July 2026, again with Vargas as the most valuable player of the final tournament, according to CEV's report. In the VNL final, Türkiye defeated Brazil, thereby winning the competition for the second time after its inaugural title in 2023. European gold only a few weeks later showed that the success was not an isolated result from a single tournament, but part of a broader run at the highest international level. It is particularly important that Türkiye defeated in the EuroVolley final a team that had won the biggest global trophies in the previous two years.
Italy missed out on a rare run of the biggest titles
For Italy, the defeat carries a different weight. Julio Velasco's team arrived in Istanbul as Olympic champions from Paris and world champions from 2025, so the European title could have given them simultaneous possession of the three most important national-team crowns. The ANSA agency states that such a run would be exceptionally rare in the history of women's volleyball. The five-set defeat also ended Italy's run of 21 consecutive victories at the Olympic Games, World Championship and European Championship, counting six victories in Paris in 2024, seven at the 2025 World Championship and the first eight matches at EuroVolley 2026. In that sense, the final in Istanbul was not only a battle for European gold, but also the end of one of the most impressive winning streaks of the current generation.
Italy, however, also confirmed with silver its status as one of the most consistent national teams on the continent. Volleyball World states that it now has three gold, three silver and three bronze medals in the history of the women's EuroVolley. In the 2026 semifinal, it defeated Poland 3:1, while Türkiye was convincing against Serbia with a 3:0 victory. Serbia then defeated Poland 3:1 in the third-place match to win bronze. The final day in Istanbul thus completed a tournament in which all four semifinalists confirmed their important role in the next Olympic and world cycle.
The title also brought an Olympic ticket to Los Angeles 2028
The European gold medal had another immediate value: by winning the continental championship, Türkiye secured a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. According to the qualification system published by FIVB and Volleyball World after approval by the International Olympic Committee and FIVB, 12 women's national teams will compete in the Olympic tournament. The United States has a place as host, while the five continental championships in 2026 each award one Olympic quota to the highest-ranked team from each continent. The remaining places will be allocated through the 2027 World Championship and the world rankings after the preliminary phase of the 2028 VNL.
Los Angeles will be Türkiye's fourth Olympic appearance. Volleyball World recalls that it achieved its best Olympic result in Paris in 2024, where it finished fourth. Direct qualification two years before the Games is important because it allows the national team to plan its cycle without the additional pressure of later qualification routes. Italy, despite its defeat in the final, remains in a strong position to reach Los Angeles, but will have to secure its quota through another route if it does not obtain it through the next relevant qualification stages. The system provides three places for the best still-unqualified national teams at the 2027 World Championship and three through the FIVB world rankings in 2028.
EuroVolley also determined some of the participants for the 2027 World Cup
The final stages of the European Championship also had consequences for the FIVB Women's World Cup 2027 in Canada and the United States. Volleyball World announced that Serbia, Poland and Türkiye secured continental quotas for that competition by reaching the semifinals, while Italy already had a place as the reigning world champion. This means that all four teams that played in the EuroVolley final stage in Istanbul will be among Europe's representatives at the next major global competition. The continuity of their mutual rivalry will therefore continue beyond the European framework. For Türkiye, it is particularly significant that it enters the new cycle simultaneously as European champion, 2026 VNL winner and already confirmed Olympic participant for 2028.
The road to the final further confirms the level of form of the home team. Volleyball World states that Türkiye defeated Serbia 3:0 in the semifinal on September 5, by set scores of 25:20, 25:19 and 25:20, while Italy reached the final with a 3:1 victory over Poland. Only a day later, Türkiye had to overcome a completely different test: instead of controlling the match from start to finish, against Italy it was twice forced to come back after losing a set. That contrast between a convincing semifinal and an exhausting final showed how many different scenarios Daniele Santarelli's team managed to solve on its way to gold.
A final that changes the balance of power ahead of the new Olympic cycle
Istanbul thus produced a kind of rematch of the 2025 World Championship final. In Bangkok, Italy defeated Türkiye 3:2 at the time, with 15:8 in the deciding set, and returned to the top of the world after 23 years. Exactly one year later, almost the same pair played another final at a major competition, but this time the closing stages belonged to Türkiye. Such an exchange of victories confirms that the two national teams are at the very top of women's volleyball and that their head-to-head contest is becoming one of the key rivalries of the current cycle. The difference in Istanbul was not in one dominant phase of play, but in Türkiye's ability to survive Italy's surges and be more precise when the fifth set reduced the margin for error.
For the home team, the victory carries both sporting and symbolic significance. Defending the continental gold in front of 17,299 spectators, the MVP award for Vargas and early confirmation of participation in Los Angeles give Türkiye a very strong position for the period through 2028. Italy, with Olympic and world titles from the previous cycle, remains the benchmark for the highest level, but the final showed that its advantage is not untouchable. CEV's data on five sets, a total of 122 minutes and two major Turkish comebacks in the match best describe how small the margin was between gold and silver. In the end, the title remained in the hands of the national team that was more resilient in the decisive moments, while Istanbul got a final that will have consequences far beyond the European Championship itself.
Sources:
- CEV – official report from the EuroVolley 2026 final, match progression, attendance, individual awards and title context (link)
- CEV – official statistics for the Italy – Türkiye final, sets, duration, spectators and individual performance (link)
- Volleyball World – confirmation of Türkiye's European title, qualification for the 2028 Olympics, final scorers and final standings (link)
- Volleyball World – official explanation of the qualification system for the volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (link)
- Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu – official announcement on medals and individual awards at EuroVolley 2026 (link)
- Volleyball World – report on the 2025 World Championship final between Italy and Türkiye and Italy's title victory (link)
- CEV – report on winning the 2026 Volleyball Nations League and Melissa Vargas's MVP award (link)
- Volleyball World – confirmation of European qualification for the FIVB Women's World Cup 2027 (link)
- ANSA – report on the EuroVolley final and Italy's run at major competitions before the defeat in Istanbul (link)