The Turkish Women's Volleyball Team, the Sultans of the Net, delivered a thrilling comeback in their Paris 2024 Olympics Pool C opener, overcoming the Netherlands 3-2 in a five-set thriller.
The match started with Türkiye gaining an early lead, going up 6-2.
However, the Dutch side rallied to level the score at 7-7 and then took an 11-10 lead.
Despite a late five-point surge from the Netherlands, Türkiye fought back but ultimately lost the first set 25-19.
In the second set, the Netherlands dominated early, leading 6-3 and extending their advantage to 21-11.
Türkiye, fueled by strong performances from Eda Erdem Dündar, Melissa Vargas and Aslı Kalaç, managed to narrow the gap to 18-23. Yet, the Netherlands secured the set 25-19.
The Sultans of the Net rebounded in the third set, trading points with the Netherlands and equalizing at 8-8.
After trailing 13-10, the Turkish team, powered by Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladın, and Meliha Diken, surged ahead 18-16 and clinched the set 25-22.
The fourth set saw the Netherlands initially leading 8-6 and extending their advantage to 16-11.
However, Türkiye rallied with a four-point streak led by Eda Erdem Dündar and Ebrar Karakurt, closing the gap to 15-16.
The set was tightly contested, ending 21-21 before Türkiye's Melissa Vargas secured the final points to win 25-22 and even the match at 2-2.
In the decisive fifth set, the Netherlands pulled ahead 6-3.
Türkiye, showing resilience, fought back with key points from Eda Erdem Dündar and Ebrar Karakurt, taking a 7-6 lead.
The final moments were intensely competitive, but Türkiye emerged victorious with a 15-13 win, completing the comeback from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2.
This victory marked Türkiye's first win over the Netherlands since August 2018, ending a nine-match losing streak against them.
The match was attended by Türkiye's Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, and Turkish fans from France and other European countries cheered passionately for the team.
Having kicked off the Paris 2024 Games with a win, Türkiye will face the Dominican Republic on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. local time in their next pool match.
In other pool action, Italy secured a 3-1 victory over the Dominican Republic, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the tournament.
