The winner of the VNL 2023, Turkiye, was welcomed back in their country after their historic victory.

The Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team returned to a triumphant reception at the Istanbul airport after securing victory in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Their stunning performance not only earned them the championship title but also propelled them to the top spot in the world rankings for the first time in the team’s history.

Upon their arrival at the airport, the team was met with an enthusiastic crowd of media representatives eager to capture the historic moment. In celebration of their outstanding success, a special Water Salute was organized to welcome the returning champions.

The players, coaches, and staff were visibly delighted and proud of their achievement and they graciously interacted with the media, expressing their gratitude and excitement.

The 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League proved to be a defining moment for the Turkish team, who displayed exceptional skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the tournament. Their hard-fought victories and great performances against strong opponents earned them a well-deserved place in volleyball history.

One of the team’s standouts during the VNL Finals, outside hitter Ebrar Karakurt thanked the fans for their support and remarked on the importance of the result, which took Türkiye to first place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking.

“We’re very happy to bring to our country one of the most important gold medals in international volleyball,” she said. “I’m very proud of what we did as a team, we showed the strength of Turkish women. Türkiye are now in first place when it comes to volleyball and that’s very important for us. The fans are the driving force behind us and I hope this is just the beginning of our story. Together, we can write even better ones.”

The President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation, Mehmet Akif Ustundag, praised the team’s exceptional achievement, highlighting their dedication and continuous efforts to reach the pinnacle of world volleyball and also emphasized the positive impact of this success on the development and popularity of volleyball in Türkiye.

The team, led by Italian coach Daniele Santarelli, showcased exceptional performance throughout the tournament. Additionally, the Turkish team’s Cuban-Turkish opposite hitter Melissa Vargas played a crucial role in their success and helped secure the gold medal in her debut appearance. Vargas’ outstanding performance earned her the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title for the tournament.

After some days of rest, head coach Daniele Santarelli will gather the players again as they start their preparations for the European Championship, which will take place in Belgium, Estonia, Germany, and Italy from August 17 to September 3. The main tournament of the season for the Turkish, however, will be the FIVB Road to Paris Olympic volleyball qualifier, which will be played from September 16-24. The Europeans are in Pool B, which is based in Japan, and will face the host country, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Peru for a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Eda Erdem

Captain and middle blocker Eda Erdem, who’s been with the national team since 2005, reminded the dramatic Turkish elimination to Korea in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics, in 2021, and promised that after the first big success at the international level, the team will go for more.

“Two years ago, we were here in this same room after the match against Korea and we were very sad,” she commented. “We didn’t forget those feelings and now we’re very happy and proud. This is a historic success for Turkish volleyball, but it’s not our peak, in fact, it’s just the beginning. Our goal now is to reach the top at the Olympics.”

Volleyball-loving country Türkiye enjoyed the biggest success of their women’s national team to date on Sunday when the Sultans of the Net became the third different side to win the Volleyball Nations League.

Playing in Arlington, the United States, the Europeans dominated Asian powerhouse China to a 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16) victory in the match that brought to an end the fifth edition of the tournament at the College Park Center.

Led by first-year world champion head coach Daniele Santarelli, the Turkish joined the United States, who won the first three editions of the VNL in 2018, 2019, and 2021, and Italy, who took the title last year, in the exclusive list of women’s national teams that managed to lift the coveted trophy.

The result also marks the most significant victory of Turkish volleyball ever, being the first world-level title won by the country. Prior to the VNL 2023, the Sultans of the Net had the silver and bronze medals won in the VNL in 2018 and 2021, respectively, and the silver medals earned at the European Championship in 2003 and 2019 as their most relevant results at the international level.

The third-best team in the VNL Preliminary Phase with nine wins in 12 matches, Türkiye were capable of further improving their game in the Finals, when they were dominant, knocking out defending champions Italy with a sweep in the quarterfinals and topping hosts and Olympic champions USA in the semifinals ahead of their gold medal match encounter with China.

A new addition to the team in 2023, opposite Melissa Vargas was unstoppable against the Asians. The 23-year-old star led all scorers with 26 points (21 kills, three aces, two blocks), coming up big in key moments for the Europeans.

Team captain Eda Erdem, who lifted the VNL trophy, and ferocious hitter Ebrar Karakurt, who produced the game-winning point with a stuff block, also had strong performances. Each of them added 12 points, with the middle blocker registering eight kills and four blocks, while the opposite-turned-into-outside-hitter had seven kills, two aces and three blocks.

“I’m living a dream right now,” Erdem reacted. “I just can’t believe it, it doesn’t feel real. I’ve been representing my country since 2005 and there’s been so much sacrifice, so much sadness and so much joy. It’s been a long journey and I think that this year, with coach Santarelli, he made us believe we could be the champions. He helped us grow and remember who we are. I’m so proud of my team, we made history, we waited for it for so long.”

Defensively, libero Gizem Örge, who returned to the national team in 2023 after four years away, was the main standout, with impressive 20 digs.