Turkey's women's volleyball team defeats Serbia to clinch first ever European title

Photo: AA

In a thrilling showdown, Turkey's women's volleyball team clinched the European championship for the first time in its history, triumphing over Serbia with a 3-2 victory in the final match held in Brussels.

The tightly contested match saw Serbia taking the first set with a score of 27-25, but Turkey swiftly responded, claiming the second set 25-21. Serbia regained the upper hand in the third set, winning 25-22. However, Turkey matched them point for point in the fourth set, securing it with a score of 25-22. The final set was a close battle, with Turkey emerging victorious at 15-13.

Melissa Vargas, a player of Cuban origin on the Turkish team, amassed a remarkable 41 points, making her the top scorer of the match.

Earlier in July, Turkey's women's volleyball team won the Nations League title in the US, defeating China in the final, marking their first ever victory in the tournament.

Hate campaigns against lesbian players

Two players who have significantly contributed to the national team's success, Vargas and Ebrar Karakurt, often face targeted hate campaigns on social media because of their open lesbian identities.

Particularly noteworthy is Karakurt, who uses social media actively and occasionally responds to hateful messages, making her a primary target for such harassment.

Leading up to the final match, conservative and pro-government media outlets, along with social media accounts, had launched a campaign demanding Karakurt's removal from the national team. 

Karakurt and Vargas celebrating the win. (Photo: AA)

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