The women’s national volleyball team defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in their opening match of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The national team started well, taking an early four-point lead (6-2). The Netherlands, serving more efficiently, evened the score at 7-7. By the middle of the set, the Netherlands was leading 11-10, but the national team managed to tie the score at 16-16. With a five-point series (16-21), the Netherlands finished the first set with a 25-19 lead.
The Netherlands started the second set more effectively, taking a three-point lead (3-6). In the middle and final stages of the set, the Netherlands extended the lead to 10 points (11-21), and the national volleyball team fought back with the help of Eda Erdem Dundar, Melissa Vargas and Asur Karachi, reducing the deficit to five points (18-23). The Netherlands made no mistakes in the remaining points and won the second set 25-19.
Both nations started the third set with a scoreless draw. The score was tied at 8-8 early in the third set. The Netherlands was leading 13-10 midway through the set, but the national team fought back with points from Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladin and Meliha Dicken to take an 18-16 lead. Turkiye ended the close set with a 25-22 lead.
The Netherlands held a two-point advantage (6-8) early in the fourth set and led by five (11-16) midway through the set. The Netherlands won four straight points with goals from Eda Erdem Dundar and Ebrard Karakurt to cut the gap to one (15-16). After a back-and-forth final point that was tied at 21-21, the Netherlands took the lead with a goal from Melissa Vargas to win the fourth set 25-22 to make the score 2-2.
Both teams started the deciding set with scores on each other. The Netherlands, more effective at the net, extended the lead to three points (3-6). Goals from Eda Erdem Dundar and Ebrard Karakurt narrowed the gap and the national team took a 7-6 lead. The national volleyball team won the final set 15-13, coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in a match that was controversial until the final moments.
The national team has not lost in nine games since losing 0-3 to the Netherlands in August 2018.
Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Ashkin Bak was also in the hall to watch the match. The Turkish spectators, who came to the venue from France and other European countries, did not leave the women’s national volleyball team alone.
Having started their Paris 2024 campaign with a win, the national team will now face the Dominican Republic in their second group match on Thursday, 1 August, at 10am CET.
