The Turkish national women's volleyball team, known as the "Sultans of the Net," is gearing up for their 23rd consecutive victory as they face Japan in the opening match of the FIVB Nations League (VNL) in Antalya on Wednesday.
The national team's first match of the season will take place at Antalya Sports Hall on Wednesday evening.
Last year, the "Sultans of the Net" made history by clinching their first VNL championship title, winning 15 out of 18 matches.
Despite a 3-2 loss to Japan in the previous edition of VNL, the national team triumphed over their opponent with a 3-1 victory in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Qualifiers.
The team's last official defeat dates back to June 28 last year against Japan in the third week of the league in Bangkok, with a 3-2 scoreline.
Since then, in 22 matches across VNL, CEV European Championships, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Qualifiers, they have been red-hot, claiming three trophies in 2023 alone.
Their victorious streak in various tournaments includes wins against Thailand, Brazil and Croatia (group stage); Italy (quarterfinals); the U.S. (semifinals); China (final) in the FIVB Nations League; Sweden, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Greece, and Germany (group stage); Belgium round of 16); Poland (quarterfinals); Italy (semifinals); Serbia (final) in the CEV European Championships; as well as victories against Puerto Rico, Bulgaria, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Japan and Belgium in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Qualifiers.
Italian head coach Daniele Santarelli, appointed to lead the Sultans of the Net on Dec. 27, 2022, secured a championship title in his debut VNL season.
Subsequently, Santarelli guided the team to their first-ever European championship and triumphed in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Qualifiers, earning them a spot at the Olympics.
Under Santarelli's leadership, the team has achieved 28 victories in 31 matches.
Santarelli aims to continue their winning streak by clinching consecutive championships, starting with this year's first tournament.
The roster for the Turkish national women's volleyball team in the upcoming VNL includes:
Setters: Cansu Özbay, Elif Şahin
Opposite hitter: Melissa Vargas
Outside Hitters: Hande Baladın, Ebrar Karakurt, İlkin Aydın, Derya Cebecioğlu, Tuğba İvegin
Middle blockers: Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, Beyza Arıcı
Liberos: Simge Aköz, Gizem Örge, Ayça Aykaç Altıntaş
The "Sultans of the Net" will compete in the first week of the league from May 14-19 in Antalya, the second week from May 28 to June 2 in the U.S., and the third week from June 11-June 16 in China.
In the VNL, which features 16 teams, the top eight teams in the points table after three weeks will qualify for the finals.
The schedule for Türkiye's National Women's Volleyball Team in the first week of VNL is as follows:
– May 15: 8 p.m. - Japan vs. Türkiye
– May 16: 8 p.m. - Netherlands vs. Türkiye
– May 18: 8 p.m. - Italy vs. Türkiye
– May 19: 8 p.m. - France vs. Türkiye
