Pasay City. Philippines.The Turkish men's national team continued its fairytale run at the World Championship in the Philippines. In the Round of 16 in Pasay City, the 'Efes' of volleyball defeated the Netherlands 3:1 in sets (27:29, 25:23, 25:16, 25:19) and qualified for the quarter-finals of a World Championship for the first time in their history.
How the match unfolded
1st Set (27:29):Turkey started nervously, with many service errors, and although they had a chance to turn it around, they allowed the Netherlands to close out the set on their fifth set point.
2nd Set (25:23):The Balkan team stabilized their block and reception play, and in the end, Mandıracı took responsibility and equalized the score.
3rd Set (25:16):Turkey showed complete dominance – Adis Lagumdzija was unstoppable, and the lead grew to double digits.
4th Set (25:19):Mandıracı's serves and Lagumdzija's consistency left no chance for 'the Oranges'. Turkey closed out the match after another successful attack.
Match statistics
| Statistic | Turkey | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Attacks | 59 | 56 |
| Blocks | 12 | 5 |
| Aces | 8 | 4 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 23 | 22 |
| Total points | 102 | 87 |
Turkey was decisively better in block and serve – the difference in these elements decided the match.
Individual Scorers
| Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Adis Lagumdzija | Turkey | 28 |
| Mandiraci | Turkey | 15 |
| Ahii | Netherlands | 21 |
| Koops | Netherlands | 14 |
Lagumdzija was the big hero with a total of 28 points, supported by Mandiraci (15). For the Netherlands, Ahii and Koops kept the team in the game, but they could not resist the Turkish power.
Turkey showed a new face with new coach Slobodan Kovac – disciplined, attacking, and with wide variability in their game. With the victory, they not only eliminated the Netherlands but also ranked among the top eight teams in the world for the first time.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
