What happened to Türkiye’s women’s volleyball team at the VNL quarterfinal – Türkiye Today

Türkiye’s national women’s volleyball team has been eliminated from the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) after a 3–2 quarterfinal loss to Japan.

The match, held in Lodz, Poland, ended with set scores of 25–21, 16–25, 25–20, 22–25, and 15–9 in favor of Japan.

The quarterfinal clash at Atlas Arena lasted 141 minutes and featured a fierce contest between two defensively strong teams.

How the match between Türkiye vs Japan went:

• Türkiye started the first set trailing 6–2, eventually losing it 25–21.
• The second set saw a strong response, with Yaprak Erkek scoring consistently and Asli Kalac contributing key blocks.
• Türkiye won the set 25–16 to tie the score.
• Japan took the third set 25–20 after a tightly contested exchange.
• Türkiye pushed back in the fourth set, led by strong plays from Melissa Vargas, and leveled the match with a 25–22 win.
• In the deciding fifth set, Türkiye briefly led but ultimately lost 15–9, allowing Japan to advance to the semifinals.

Turkish national volleyball players vow to learn from the loss

Following the match, middle blocker Asli Kalac acknowledged the team’s disappointment and said they needed to reflect on their defeat against Japan.

“We need to learn from this loss,” Kalac told Anadolu Agency. “We fought well, but we wanted a better result. For two years, we’ve been eliminated in the quarterfinals during the fifth set. We need to take lessons from this and be better at the World Championship.”

Team captain Simge Akoz also addressed the emotional aftermath.

“We’re very upset,” she said. “We’ve been working for this for years. Everyone wanted to reach the final. Maybe we couldn’t reflect that desire consistently during the match. We’ve played teams like this before and know that patience is essential, but we didn’t manage it well today.”

She added that the team would not use the referees’ decisions as an excuse. “It feels like an excuse to say it was about the referees. Yes, there are decisions that can affect the flow of the game, but we are strong enough to handle them,” Akoz said. “We’re just very sad.”

Kalac also admitted the team made too many simple mistakes out of eagerness. “We needed more patience, especially against a defensive team like Japan,” she said. “We were ahead in the final set, maybe by two points, but we gave the game away. All we can do now is focus on the World Championship and show up in our best form.”

Turkish volleyball federation president defends team against harsh criticism

Before the match, Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Ustundag had expressed confidence in the team, stating, “We’re not strangers to quarterfinals, semifinals, or finals. I trust our team. I hope we win the quarterfinal and compete for a podium spot.”

Ustundag also addressed the criticism the team had received earlier in the tournament. “We secured the quarterfinals after the first two weeks, but we faced harsh criticism for two losses,” he said. “I told the team, ‘Don’t let it affect you. The real support comes from fans who respect your efforts.’”

He emphasized that Türkiye has become a country where volleyball is widely followed. “This country doesn’t deserve insults. These athletes don’t deserve them either. I told the players: you answer them on the court. We are the only sport that apologizes for not winning the final. That shows the expectations we carry,” he said.

Ustundag also recalled recent achievements in both men’s and women’s volleyball and youth tournaments, calling them signs of progress. “Türkiye is delivering firsts in volleyball through its organization, infrastructure, and projects. We’ll keep improving. This country deserves success and beauty,” he said.

World Championship becomes Turkish volleyball team’s new target

Despite the early exit, both players and officials remain focused on upcoming challenges. The 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship is now the team’s top priority.

“We must improve for the World Championship,” Kalac said. “We’ll take what we learned here and be better prepared.”

Simge Akoz echoed that message: “I hope we take something from this process and arrive at the World Championship in better form.”

Türkiye’s fans, often referred to as one of the most passionate volleyball audiences in the world, are now expected to rally behind the team in their preparations for the next major international tournament.