Türkiye’s Sultans of the Net kept their flawless EuroVolley 2026 campaign rolling Wednesday, defeating Germany 3-1 to claim a fourth straight Group A victory.
The Crescent-Stars, already assured of a place in the round of 16, improved to 4-0 in the tournament, while Germany suffered their second defeat.
Türkiye seized control midway through a closely contested opening set as Melissa Vargas delivered a strong service run to help stretch the lead to 9-4 and force Germany into a timeout.
Germany attempted to respond through Hanna Orthmann and Lina Alsmeier, but Türkiye made effective use of their middle blockers to maintain the advantage and take the opening set 25-21.
Germany made the stronger start in the second before Vargas helped Türkiye erase the deficit. Neither side could establish clear control as attacking errors contributed to a tight battle, with Hande Baladın emerging as a key offensive weapon for the Crescent-Stars.
Germany rallied late behind Camilla Weitzel and Pia Kästner before drawing level at 23-23. Türkiye was unable to halt the momentum despite calling timeouts, and Germany edged the set 27-25 to level the match at 1-1.
Türkiye quickly regained control in the third. Vargas and Baladın kept the pressure on Germany as the Crescent-Stars claimed the set 25-20 and moved within one set of victory.
Saliha Şahin then provided the early attacking spark in the fourth, while Deniz Uyanık's blocks helped Türkiye establish a commanding 17-11 advantage.
Backed by the home crowd, Türkiye refused to let Germany back into contention, closing out the fourth set 25-19 to seal a 3-1 victory.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, Turkish National Paralympic Committee President Murat Aksu and football coach Fatih Terim were among those watching the match from the stands.
Having secured their place in the last 16, Türkiye will close out the Group A campaign against Poland at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28.
