The Turkish women's national team recorded their sixth victory in the Nations League after defeating China 3:2 (25:21, 26:28, 23:25, 25:16, 15:12) in their last match of the second tournament in Ankara. The match was the sixth to finish in five sets on the last day of the tournament, and the hosts once again delighted the packed stands.
The Turkish team had to overcome a serious challenge after falling behind 1:2 in sets, but with an impressive performance by Melissa Vargas, they achieved a full comeback and closed the tournament with four wins from four matches in front of their home crowd.
Vargas rewrote her record
Opposite hitter Melissa Vargas played another phenomenal match and scored 36 points, improving her personal record in the VNL. Just a few days earlier, she had scored 32 points against Germany.
In support of the home team's star, Ilkin Aydin finished with 13 points, Sinead Jack-Kisal added 12, and Berka Buyukturk scored 9 points.
The Chinese team put up a strong resistance, with Gong Xiangyu being the top scorer with 22 points, and Zhuang Yushan adding 14.
| Team | Attack | Block | Serve | Points from opponent's errors | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 68 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 114 |
| China | 65 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 102 |
Turkey had a minimal advantage in attack (68:65), and the tie in blocks (8:8) shows how contested the match was. The difference came mainly from serves and forced errors by the Chinese team, from which the hosts gained nine more points.
| Team | Digs | Receptions | Organized attacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 112 | 89 | 149 |
| China | 106 | 101 | 158 |
Statistics show that China was more stable in reception and game organization, but the Turkish women compensated with more saved balls in defense and higher efficiency in key moments, especially in the fourth and fifth sets.
Turkey remains No. 3 in the world, China drops a position
The success brought Turkey 3.84 points for the FIVB world ranking. Thus, the European champion accumulated 362.35 points and maintained its third place in the world.
The loss cost China one position, as they dropped to seventh place with 334.29 points.
After eight matches played in the VNL, the Turkish women finished the second tournament with a balance of 6 wins and 2 losses, occupying sixth position in the provisional standings with 15 points. China is eighth with 5 wins, 3 losses, and 14 points.
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Turkey | 6 | 2 | 15 |
| 8 | China | 5 | 3 | 14 |
The difference between the two teams in the standings remains minimal, but Turkey's victory is of great importance both for the battle for the Final Eight and for positions in the world ranking. The most important conclusion for the hosts is that they have a player of Vargas' caliber, who once again practically alone managed to tip the scales in the decisive moments of the match.
photo:volleyballworld.com
