Turkey narrowly misses first world title in women's volleyball after five-set loss to Italy

Turkey’s national women’s volleyball team fell short in their bid for a first FIVB Women’s World Championship title, losing 3-2 to Italy in a hard-fought final today in Bangkok, Thailand.

The set scores were 23-25, 25-13, 24-26, 25-19, and 8-15 in the match played at Huamark Indoor Stadium.

Turkey narrowly lost the first set 23-25 but responded with a dominant 25-13 win in the second. The third set was again tightly contested; although Turkey trailed for much of it, they briefly took the lead before falling short 24-26. The fourth set saw a more controlled performance from Turkey, who secured a relatively comfortable 25-19 victory to level the match.

In the final set, Turkey conceded five points through blocks and committed two service errors, allowing Italy to take control and comfortably close out the set to claim their second world title. Turkey recorded a total of 68 attack points in the match, while Italy finished with 59.

Turkey's coach Daniele Santarelli and players receiving their silver medals:

👏SULTANLARIMIZ SİZİNLE GURUR DUYUYORUZ.

🥈Dünya ikincisi takımımız gümüş madalyalarını boynuna taktı. pic.twitter.com/vWKfJGcDyB

— TRT Spor Yıldız (@trtsporyildiz) September 7, 2025

Captain Eda Erdem and Cuban-born star Melissa Vargas were named to the tournament’s Dream Team, alongside three Italian players and one from Japan.

Having won the European Championship and the Nations Leage in 2023 and seen semi-finals in the 2024 Olympics, the Sultans of the Net (Filenin Sultanları), as they are known in Turkey, solidified their status among the top international contenders with the world championship final.

Inspiring women and LGBTI+s

Women's national volleyball team holds particular significance for many women in Turkey, especially at a time when women’s rights have been under pressure in recent years.

The team has previously been targeted in coordinated harassment campaigns. Star players Ebrar Karakurt and Melissa Vargas have been targeted over their sexuality multiple times, especially during international competitions. While Karakurt is openly lesbian, Vargas has made no public statements about her sexual orientation.

Last year, one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s advisors blurred the players’ legs in a celebratory photo following Turkey’s victory in the Nations League, drawing widespread criticism.

Support for woman volleyball player targeted after sharing photo with girlfriend

16 August 2021

The match in photos