Paris, France – The Turkish Women’s Volleyball Team, known as the Sultans of the Net, staged a remarkable comeback in their Paris 2024 Olympics Pool C opener, defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in an exhilarating five-set match.
Thrilling Match Overview
The match started with seizing an early lead, advancing to 6-2. However, the Dutch team quickly rallied to level the score at 7-7 and then took the lead at 11-10. Despite a strong effort from Turkey, the Netherlands claimed the first set 25-19.
Second Set Dominance by Netherlands
In the second set, the Netherlands dominated early, leading 6-3 and extending their advantage to 21-11. Turkey, with standout performances from Eda Erdem Dündar, Melissa Vargas, and Aslı Kalaç, narrowed the gap to 18-23. Nevertheless, the Netherlands secured the set 25-19.
Turkey’s Resilient Third Set Performance
The Sultans of the Net rebounded in the third set, trading points with the Netherlands and equalizing at 8-8. After trailing 13-10, the Turkish team, powered by Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladın, and Meliha Diken, surged ahead to 18-16 and clinched the set 25-22.
Fourth Set Turkish Comeback
The fourth set saw the Netherlands initially leading 8-6 and extending their advantage to 16-11. However, responded with a four-point streak led by Eda Erdem Dündar and Ebrar Karakurt, closing the gap to 15-16. The set was tightly contested, ending 21-21 before Turkey’s Melissa Vargas secured the final points to win 25-22, evening the match at 2-2.
Decisive Fifth Set Victory
In the decisive fifth set, the Netherlands pulled ahead 6-3. Turkey, demonstrating remarkable resilience, fought back with key points from Eda Erdem Dündar and Ebrar Karakurt, taking a 7-6 lead. The final moments were intensely competitive, but Turkey emerged victorious with a 15-13 win, completing the comeback from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2.
This victory marked Turkey’s first win over the Netherlands since August 2018, ending a nine-match losing streak. The match was attended by Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, with passionate support from Turkish fans in France and across Europe.
Following this thrilling start to the Paris 2024 Games, Turkey will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. local time in their next pool match. In other pool action, Italy secured a 3-1 victory over the Dominican Republic, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the tournament.
