Türkiye’s U20 women’s volleyball team defeats Italy, wins European Championship
Türkiye’s U20 women’s volleyball team claimed the European Championship title after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Italy in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 17, 2024.
This win capped an impressive tournament in which Türkiye won all nine of their matches, proving their dominance in the competition.
The final match, held at the Hristo Botev Arena in Sofia, saw Türkiye battle it out with Italy in a gripping five-set showdown.
Türkiye emerged victorious with set scores of 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 17-25, and 15-11. Match statistics underline the fierce competition between the two teams, with Türkiye’s resilience and tactical precision ultimately securing the win.
Türkiye vs Italy U20 women’s volleyball final match statistics
Overall match statistics for the U20 Volleyball European Championship 2024 finals:
| Set | Time Set | Partials | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26′ | 8-6, 14-16, 19-21, 22-25 | 22-25 |
| 2 | 21′ | 8-6, 16-15, 21-16, 25-16 | 25-16 |
| 3 | 26′ | 8-4, 16-10, 21-17, 25-19 | 25-19 |
| 4 | 26′ | 6-8, 13-16, 16-21, 17-25 | 17-25 |
| 5 | 18′ | 5-2, 10-8, 12-9, 15-11 | 15-11 |
| Total | 117′ | 104-96 |
Turkish volleyball team’s consistency, determination to win European Championship
Throughout the tournament, Türkiye maintained a high level of performance, with their strong teamwork and individual skills shining through.
Head coach Gokhan Durmaz reflected on the team’s journey, saying, “We played 18 official matches this year and won all of them, culminating in this European Championship. It’s an incredible feeling to see the hard work pay off.”
Durmaz pointed to a significant comeback during a group-stage match against the Netherlands as a turning point that bolstered the team’s confidence.
Individual contributions of Türkiye’s players during the final match:
| Player | Points | Serve (W-L) | Reception (Pos%/Exc%) | Attack (Tot/Err) | Block (Blk/Exc%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senyapici Ece | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kayikci Helin (L) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Yesilirmak Beren | 21 | 5-17 | – | 43-2 (49%) | 1 |
| Kacmaz Begum | 14 | 5-12 | – | 10-1 (80%) | 5 |
| Ozdemir Dilay | 6 | 3-4 | – | 4-2 (75%) | 3 |
| Gergef Ilayda Naz (L) | – | – | 22 (23%) | – | – |
| Eroguz Nisan | 8 | 6-14 | – | 3-0 (100%) | 4 |
| Caliskan Selin | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mumcular Bianka Ilayda | – | – | 3 (33%) | 2-0 (0%) | – |
| Safronova Liza | 7 | 4-17 | 29 (42%) | 29-6 (14%) | 1 |
| Acibal Sevval | – | -2-2 | 2 (33%) | 2-1 (0%) | – |
| Durgun Eylul | 10 | 7-17 | 34 (31%) | 34-4 (29%) | 1 |
| Kose Selen | – | -1-1 | – | – | – |
| Pasa Bilge | 1 | 1-2 | 1 (100%) | 1-0 (100%) | 1 |
Celebrating Turkish U20 volleyball team’s victory, player achievements
Türkiye’s Volleyball Federation (TVF) President Mehmet Akif Ustundag praised the team’s perfect record of nine wins in nine matches.
He stated, “These are the future queens of volleyball. Our infrastructure is very strong, and we see the results year after year. Congratulations to everyone who contributed, from the technical staff to the players and their families.”
In addition to the team’s overall success, several players earned individual honors. Liza Safronova was named the Best Outside Hitter, Beren Yesilirmak received the Best Opposite Hitter award, and Dilay Ozdemir was recognized as both the Best Setter and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
