Türkiye will face Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s European Volleyball Championship on Thursday as the defending champions continue their bid for another European title on home soil.
The Sultans of the Net booked their place in the last eight with a commanding 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan on Tuesday at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul, winning 25-14, 25-16 and 25-22 in 79 minutes.
The victory sent Türkiye into a quarterfinal rematch with Germany, who secured their place in the same round by edging Belgium 3-2 in a dramatic five-set battle earlier Tuesday.
The quarterfinal is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.
Türkiye find their rhythm
Türkiye entered the knockout stage as one of the tournament favorites but had to settle for second place in Pool A behind Poland after losing their final group match 3-2 to the eventual group winners.
Before that defeat, the defending champions had won four straight matches, including a 3-1 victory over Germany on Aug. 26.
That group-stage meeting gives Thursday's quarterfinal an added layer of intrigue. Türkiye won 25-21, 25-27, 25-20 and 25-19, putting Germany under pressure with a combination of powerful serving, disciplined defense and the scoring threat of Melissa Vargas.
The teams now meet again with a semifinal place at stake.
Türkiye looked particularly sharp against Azerbaijan in the round of 16, controlling the match from the opening set and never allowing their opponents to build sustained momentum.
Vargas led Türkiye with 16 points, while Zehra Güneş added 12 and Hande Baladın scored 10. The result also provided a strong response to the disappointment of the Poland defeat and restored confidence ahead of the more demanding knockout rounds.
"It is always glorious to play in front of such an audience and for them," Vargas said after the win, according to CEV. "We had a good match and we now look forward to playing Germany in the quarterfinals."
More than 8,000 fans attended Tuesday's match at Sinan Erdem, creating another imposing home atmosphere for the defending champions.
Germany arrive after five-set thriller
Germany took a far more difficult route into the quarterfinals.
The Germans fell behind Belgium after losing the opening set 25-20, but fought back to take the second and third sets 25-21 and 25-20.
Belgium forced a deciding set by winning the fourth 27-25, but Germany held their nerve in the tiebreak and closed out a 15-8 victory.
Leana Grozer was the standout performer for Germany, finishing with 28 points, including 14 across the fourth and fifth sets as her team survived the Belgian challenge.
The result extended Germany's winning run against Belgium in international competition, but it also highlighted the resilience that Türkiye will have to overcome in the quarterfinal.
Germany finished fourth in Pool A and will enter Thursday's match as the underdog, but the team's ability to recover from difficult situations has given them reason to believe they can challenge the reigning champions.
Familiar opponents, higher stakes
Türkiye and Germany have already learned plenty about each other during the tournament.
Their Aug. 26 meeting ended in a 3-1 Türkiye victory, meaning Germany will have to find a way to slow down a Turkish attack that has several scoring options.
For Türkiye, the challenge will be maintaining the level of concentration that carried them past Azerbaijan while dealing with the pressure that comes with being the defending champions and hosts.
The team is coached by Daniele Santarelli and has a deep roster featuring Vargas, Güneş, Baladın and veteran captain Eda Erdem Dündar.
Türkiye also arrives with significant recent success behind it after winning the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, adding to expectations surrounding the team at EuroVolley.
The tournament is being co-hosted by Türkiye, Czechia, Azerbaijan and Sweden and runs through Sept. 6. Istanbul is hosting the later stages, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches.
Thursday's winner will advance to the semifinals in Istanbul.
The winner of the Türkiye-Germany quarterfinal will meet the winner of Serbia-Greece for a place in the championship match.
For Türkiye, the objective is clear. A victory would move the defending champions one step closer to retaining their European crown, while another strong performance in front of their home supporters would further strengthen their status as one of the tournament's leading contenders.
Germany, meanwhile, will try to turn the resilience shown against Belgium into a major upset.