Türkiye defeated Italy 3-2 in the final of the 2026 European Women’s Volleyball Championship to win the title. The national team secured its second consecutive European championship in the match played at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul.
Türkiye fell behind twice in sets against Italy but refused to give up and took the match to a deciding set. The national team won the final set 15-10 to complete the match with a 3-2 victory.
Set scores in the final
Italy made a strong start by winning the first set 25-16. Türkiye levelled the match by taking the second set 25-22, but Italy regained the lead by winning the third set 25-12.
Backed by 17,299 spectators, Türkiye won the fourth set 25-21 to take the match to a deciding set. The national team prevailed 15-10 in the fifth set to win the final 3-2.
Türkiye fought back in the second set
Italy opened up a lead in the first set through the effective attacking play of Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova. Against Italy, which led 12-6 in the second set, Türkiye cut the deficit with five consecutive points and levelled the score at 15-15.
Türkiye took its first lead of the match at 21-20 in the second set and won it 25-22 to draw level. The national team fell 8-2 behind in the third set and could not stop Italy’s attacking dominance.
The crowd carried Türkiye into the deciding set
Türkiye made a fast start to the fourth set, taking a 3-0 lead and extending the advantage to seven points at 12-5. The national team maintained its lead with a spike from Eda Erdem and won the set 25-21 through Melissa Vargas’ effective play.
Türkiye dominated the deciding set from start to finish and claimed the European championship with a 15-10 victory. The national team, coached by Italian head coach Daniele Santarelli, won the trophy for the second consecutive time in the tournament.
Vargas named the tournament’s most valuable player
Melissa Vargas played an important role in Türkiye’s championship victory with her performance throughout the tournament and received the competition’s most valuable player award.
With the championship victory, Türkiye also secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Türkiye also became the first team since Serbia won the championship in Belgrade in 2011 to win the European Women’s Volleyball Championship on home soil.
Serbia win the bronze medal
Serbia defeated Poland 3-1 in the third-place match to claim the bronze medal. Winning the sets 25-21, 25-19, 15-25 and 25-18, Serbia secured its sixth consecutive medal at the European Championship.
The tournament was held from August 21 to September 6 and was co-hosted by Türkiye, Czechia, Azerbaijan and Sweden. Twenty-four teams competed in the tournament, while the final stage and championship match were played in Istanbul.
