Turkey qualified for the final of the Women's Volleyball Nations League after crushing hosts China 3-0 (25:21, 25:15, 25:20) in the second semi-final of the tournament in Macau. Thus, the "Sultans of the Net" reached their third final in the history of the competition and will face Brazil on Sunday in the battle for the trophy.
In front of nearly 5,000 spectators in the East Asian Games Dome, the European champions asserted their dominance from the very beginning of the match. The first set was even until 9:9, but a 6:1 run gave Turkey the initiative. The Chinese reduced the lead to 19:21, but Melissa Vargas and her teammates did not allow a comeback and closed the set at 25:21.
In the second set, China took a 6:4 lead, but an impressive run of 8 consecutive points followed for the Turkish team. The block, led by Zehra Gunes, completely neutralized the hosts' attack, and Turkey won convincingly with 25:15.
The third set was even until 14:14. After another strong run, the Turkish team pulled ahead by four points and calmly reached the final 25:20, with the last point coming after an unforced attacking error by the Chinese team.
Melissa Vargas was above all with 23 points (21 from attack, 1 ace, and 1 block). Ilkin Aydin added 15 points, Hande Baladin finished with 11, Zehra Gunes scored 8, and Sinead Jack-Kisal also contributed 8 points. For China, Zhuang Yushan was the top scorer with 15 points.
Statistics also showed Turkey's superiority – 54:36 successful attacks, 7:6 blocks, and 5:2 aces. Turkey scored 9 points from China's errors, while the Chinese won 12 points from the opponent's errors.
"This was a very important victory for Turkey, which qualified us for the final. Against a strong team like China, we fought for every point. I expect a very tense match against Brazil, where every point will matter," said Melissa Vargas to VBTV after the win.
In the other semi-final, Brazil dethroned the reigning champion Italy after a dramatic 3-2 victory and also secured their place in the title match.
The final between Turkey and Brazil is on Sunday (July 26) at 14:30 Bulgarian time, while the bronze medal match between China and Italy starts at 10:30 Bulgarian time.

photo:volleyballworld.com