The National Women's Volleyball Team 2026 VNL Matches

The Volleyball Nations League is designed as a multi-week international competition featuring the world’s top national teams competing annually. In the context of the 2026 tournament schedule, the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team will compete in stages held in cities across different continents.

In the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, the world’s 18 best women’s national teams will compete. According to the official VNL format, the preliminary round consists of a three-week competition period during which each team plays a total of 12 matches. After the group matches are completed, the top eight teams in the overall standings — the top seven teams and the host nation — will qualify for the VNL Finals where the champion will be determined.

The women’s 2026 VNL group matches will be played between 3 June and 19 July 2026 across 17 host cities in 12 different countries. The 2026 VNL Finals, which will determine the champion, are scheduled to take place from 22 to 26 July 2026 in Macao, China.

Since its inception in 2018, the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team has maintained consistent participation in the Volleyball Nations League and achieved various placements. The team finished second in 2018, secured fourth place in 2019 and 2022, earned third place in 2021, and won the VNL championship title in 2023. The team will compete in the 2026 tournament aiming to defend its championship title.

Under the Türkiye Volleyball Federation’s 2026 national team activity program, a 30-player expanded roster has been selected for the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team to use throughout the tournament. The players and their positions for the tournament are as follows:

• Setters: Cansu Özbay, Elif Şahin, Dilay Özdemir, Buse Ünal Pehlivan, Arelya Karasoy Koçaş.
• Outside Hitters: Ebrar Karakurt, Yaprak Erkek, Hande Baladın, İlkin Aydın, Saliha Şahin, Ayşe Çürük, Liza Safronova.
• Opposites: Melissa Vargas, Aylin Uysalcan, Tutku Burcu Yüzgenç, Beren Yeşilırmak, Defne Başyolcu.
• Middle Blockers: Yasemin Güveli, Zehra Güneş, Sinead Jack Kısal, Berka Buse Özden, Deniz Uyanık, Aslı Kalaç, Karmen Aksoy, Ezel Balık, Merve Atlıer.
• Liberos: Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın, Gizem Örge, Merve İzbilir, Melis Yılmaz.

The administrative and technical staff who will support the Türkiye National Team during the 2026 VNL matches are as follows:

• Manager: Pelin Çelik
• Head Coach: Daniele Santarelli
• Assistant Coaches: Diego Flisi, Maurizio Mora
• Statistical Coaches: Artun Aksan, Marco Greco
• Conditioning Coach: Marco Sesia
• Physiotherapists: Ilenia Marin, Francesco Gatti
• Massage Therapist: Murat Beder
• Team Doctor: Seçkin Sarı

According to the official tournament schedule, Türkiye’s preliminary round matches in the 2026 VNL will be hosted by Brazil, Türkiye and Japan. This three-stage competition and player allocations across the roster have been carefully structured.

The first week of the tournament will be held from 3 to 8 June 2026 at the Arena BRB Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Brazil. Türkiye will face the national teams of the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Italy and Bulgaria in this group.

The 14-player roster for the first week matches will consist of the following athletes:

• Setters: Dilay Özdemir, Buse Ünal Pehlivan
• Outside Hitters: İlkin Aydın, Saliha Şahin, Yaprak Erkek, Ayşe Çürük
• Middle Blockers: Deniz Uyanık, Berka Buse Özden, Karmen Aksoy, Merve Atlıer, Ezel Balık
• Opposites: Beren Yeşilırmak, Defne Başyolcu, Aylin Uysalcan
• Liberos: Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın, Melis Yılmaz

The match schedule for the Brazil stage (in Türkiye Time) is as follows:

• 3 June 2026 (19.00): Dominican Republic vs Türkiye.
• 4 June 2026 (22.30): Türkiye vs Netherlands.
• 6 June 2026 (21.30): Italy vs Türkiye. (This match will serve as a rematch between the world champion and the VNL champion).
• 8 June 2026 (24.00, spanning from 7 June to 8 June): Bulgaria vs Türkiye.

The official broadcasts of the first stage matches in Türkiye will be available on S Sport and S Sport Plus platforms.

Türkiye will host the second week of matches. The games will take place from 17 to 21 June 2026 at the Ankara Sports Hall. The Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team, playing before its home fans, will compete against the national teams of Belgium, France, Germany and China. The Ankara stage match schedule (in Türkiye Time) is as follows:

• 17 June 2026 (19.30): Türkiye vs Belgium.
• 18 June 2026 (19.30): Türkiye vs France.
• 20 June 2026 (19.30): Türkiye vs Germany.
• 21 June 2026 (19.30): Türkiye vs China. (This match will conclude the second week).

The final week of the VNL group stage will be held from 8 to 12 July 2026 in Osaka, located in Japan’s Kansai region. In this decisive group, Türkiye will face the national teams of Poland, the United States, Japan and Thailand. The Japan stage match schedule (in Türkiye Time) is as follows:

• 8 July 2026 (06.00): Poland vs Türkiye.
• 10 July 2026 (07.00): United States vs Türkiye.
• 11 July 2026 (13.20): Japan vs Türkiye. (This match will serve as a rematch of the quarterfinal from the previous year’s championship).
• 12 July 2026 (09.30): Thailand vs Türkiye.

All matches of the international tournament will be broadcast globally through official platforms such as VBTV. Given the record-breaking viewership in previous years, the 2026 season is expected to attract a massive global audience. Cultural integration initiatives, including the “Volleyball Legacy Art Project,” which features large-scale public art installations, are planned in host cities. Official ticket sales schedules and procedures for the tournament matches will be announced progressively on relevant platforms in the coming months.

The Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team played its first match in the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on 3 June 2026 against the Caribbean nation Dominican Republic. This opening match, held in Brasília the capital of Brazil, was a fiercely contested encounter that ended in a 3-2 victory for Türkiye, giving the team a strong start to the tournament. The intense match, lasting a total of 118 minutes, was part of the first week of matches in the league phase, which will be hosted across three different countries.

The match commenced at 19:00 Türkiye Time on Wednesday 3 June 2026 and was hosted at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasília Brazil. The chief referee was Nathan Mahaven from the United States, with Ricardo Borroto from Cuba serving as assistant referee.

Reviewing the team rosters, the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team, under head coach Daniele Santarelli, fielded fourteen players for the Brazil leg of the tournament. The setters were Dilay Özdemir and Buse Ünal Pehlivan. The outside hitters were İlkin Aydın, Saliha Şahin, Yaprak Erkek and Ayşe Çürük. The middle blockers were Deniz Uyanık, Berka Buse Özden, Karmen Aksoy, Merve Atlıer and Ezel Balık. The opposite hitters were Beren Yeşilırmak, Defne Başyolcu and Aylin Uysalcan. The libero positions were entrusted to Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın and Melis Yılmaz. Türkiye’s starting six consisted of setter Dilay Özdemir, opposite hitter Defne Başyolcu, outside hitters İlkin Aydın and Yaprak Erkek, middle blockers Berka Buse Özden and Deniz Uyanık, and libero Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın. The Dominican Republic’s starting lineup consisted of Pena, Gonzalez, Tapia, Heredia, Jineiry Martinez and Marte, while Castillo, Larysmer Martinez, Rodriguez, Matos, De la Rosa and Alonzo were listed as substitutes.

^{First Match: Türkiye 3-2 Dominican Republic (AA)}

The match, played over five sets and with the outcome uncertain until the final moments, followed a highly fluctuating course. In the first set, the Dominican Republic gained control and overcame an early deficit to win the set 25-17, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.

In the second set, Türkiye regained composure and established dominance over their opponents, winning the set 25-20 to level the match at 1-1.

The third set was a period of complete control by the Türkiye national team, who led from start to finish and imposed their dominance on the opposition. Türkiye won this set comfortably 25-16, taking a 2-1 lead in sets.

^{First Match: Türkiye 3-2 Dominican Republic (AA)}

The fourth set became one of the most critical moments of the match, featuring a fierce battle. As the Dominican Republic neared victory, Türkiye, trailing 24-20, fought back with three consecutive points to show remarkable resilience. However, the opposition refused to yield and clinched the set 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth set. In the fifth and final set, played to fifteen points, Türkiye fell behind early but maintained discipline and gradually turned the tide, scoring consecutive points to secure a 15-11 victory and win the match 3-2.

^{First Match: Türkiye 3-2 Dominican Republic (AA)}

The challenging match against the Dominican Republic marked significant individual milestones for several players of the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team. The top scorer of the match was Yaprak Erkek, whose performance in offensive plays delivered a total of 21 points for her team. Additionally, 2009-born opposite hitter Aylin Uysalcan and 2009-born middle blocker Ezel Balık made their international debuts in this match, playing their first official senior national team match. Furthermore, experienced national outside hitter İlkin Aydın assumed the captain’s armband for the first time in her career during an official match for the Türkiye national team.

Türkiye’s second match in the first phase of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) was against the Netherlands national team. Played on 4 June 2026, the match ended in a 3-0 victory for the Netherlands. This match marked Türkiye’s first defeat in the tournament.

The match was held at the Nilson Nelson Indoor Arena in Brasília Brazil, which hosted the Brazil leg of the tournament. It began at 22:30 Türkiye Time and lasted a total of 80 minutes. The chief referee was Ricardo Iglesias Borotto of the Cuban Volleyball Federation. The assistant referee was Angela Grass of the Brazilian Volleyball Federation.

Türkiye’s starting six for the match consisted of Berka Buse Özden, Defne Başyolcu, İlkin Aydın, Deniz Uyanık, Dilay Özdemir, Yaprak Erkek and libero Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın. The substitutes were Melis Yılmaz, Buse Ünal Pehlivan, Beren Yeşilırmak, Aylin Uysalcan, Karmen Aksoy and Ezel Balık. Other players included in Türkiye’s VNL 2026 first-week roster but not listed in the starting or substitute lineups for this match were outside hitters Saliha Şahin and Ayşe Çürük and middle blocker Merve Atlıer.

The Netherlands’ starting six consisted of Van Aalen, Knollema, Baijens, Dambrink, Kok, Stuut and libero Reesink. The substitutes for the Netherlands were Jansen, Bongaerts and Van De Vosse.

^{Second Match: Türkiye 0-3 Netherlands (AA)}

The match was played over three sets, all of which were won by the Netherlands. The set scores were 23-25, 17-25 and 18-25 respectively.

The first set ended 25-23 in favor of the Netherlands. During the set, İlkin Aydın of Türkiye scored an ace serve to boost her team’s morale and brought the score to 14-13. In the closing stages, a spike from the right side by Vosse of the Netherlands hit the block and bounced out, giving the Netherlands a 17-20 lead.

The second set ended 17-25 in favor of the Netherlands, extending their lead to 2-0. Türkiye encountered difficulties in their central offensive plays; in one instance, the ball landed on the net.

^{Second Match: Türkiye 0-3 Netherlands (AA)}

The third set concluded 18-25 in favor of the Netherlands, sealing their 3-0 victory. Türkiye’s first point in the set was scored by İlkin Aydın. After a long rally, Kok delivered a point for the Netherlands. Additionally, a ball directed toward the net was completed by Dambrink, extending the Netherlands’ lead to 10-14. In the later stages of the set, a spike from behind the end line by the Netherlands’ Vosse landed out of bounds, resulting in a point for Türkiye and a score of 16-23.

The match was held at the Arena Nilson Nelson sports hall in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. The match was officiated by Daniel Gonzalez of the Mexican Volleyball Federation as head referee, and Angela Grass of the Brazilian Volleyball Federation as assistant referee. The official attendance was recorded as 3,200 spectators.

Prior to this match, the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team began the tournament with a victory against the Dominican Republic but suffered a defeat against the Netherlands in their second match. The loss to Italy marked Türkiye’s second defeat in the tournament.

The performance of both teams in this match was reflected in their respective VNL season statistics. The Italy team won all three of its matches, achieving a 100 percent win rate. During this period, Italy recorded 152 attacks, 23 blocks, and 17 service aces. Türkiye, on the other hand, achieved one win and two losses in three matches, resulting in a 33 percent win rate. The team recorded a total of 157 attacks, 28 blocks, and 5 service aces.

The match was completed over four sets. The set scores, in order, were 25-16, 26-28, 25-19, and 25-15 in favor of Italy. Only the second set was won by Türkiye; the other three sets were won by Italy.

^{Third Match: Türkiye 1-3 Italy (TVF)}

In terms of overall team performance statistics at the end of the match, Italy recorded 57 attacks, 9 blocks, and 10 service aces. Italy’s reception success rate was measured at 51 percent. In contrast, Türkiye finished the match with 54 attacks, 6 blocks, and 2 service aces.

The starting lineups and substitute players for each team during the match were as follows:

• Italy National Team Roster: Denise Meli, Carlotta Cambi, Oghosasere Loveth Omoruyi, Linda Nwakalor, Merit Chinenyenwa Adigwe, Stella Nervini, and libero Eleonora Fersino took the court. The substitute players were Ilaria Spirito, Binto Diop, Francesca Scola, Ekaterina Antropova, Gaia Giovannini, Linda Manfredini, and Yasmina Akrari.
• Türkiye National Team Roster: Dilay Özdemir, Yaprak Erkek, Karmen Aksoy, Defne Başyolcu, İlkin Aydın, Deniz Uyanık, and libero Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın played in the match. Other players on the roster were Saliha, Melis Buse Özden, Aylin, Buse, Beren Yeşilırmak, and Berka Buse Özden.

The top scorer of the match was Merit Chinenyenwa Adigwe of Italy, playing as an outside hitter, who scored a total of 19 points. Other notable point contributors for Italy were: outside hitter Stella Nervini with 17 points, middle blocker Linda Nwakalor with 16 points, Oghosasere Loveth Omoruyi with 10 points, and Ekaterina Antropova with 9 points. Additionally, Carlotta Cambi, Gaia Giovannini, and Linda Manfredini each scored 2 points, while Denise Meli contributed 1 point.

^{Third Match: Türkiye 1-3 Italy (AA)}

For Türkiye, the highest-scoring player was Yaprak Erkek, an outside hitter, who scored 16 points. The match data also noted that middle blockers Karmen Aksoy and Berka Buse Özden were part of Türkiye’s rotation.

Following this match, Türkiye’s Women’s National Volleyball Team is scheduled to play its fourth and final match in Brazil against the Bulgaria national team. According to the fixture, the match is planned for Monday, 8 June at 00:00 (the night of 7 June into 8 June).

This was the fourth match of the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team in the first week of the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL). The match, held in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, ended with Türkiye defeating Bulgaria 3-1 in sets. With this result, Türkiye secured their second win in the first phase of the tournament.

^{Fourth Match: Türkiye 3-1 Bulgaria (AA)}

The match was scheduled as the final fixture of the Brazil leg of the Nations League and began at 00:00 on 8 June 2026, bridging the night of 7 June to 8 June 2026. It was held at the Nilson Nelson Sports Gymnasium (Arena Nilson Nelson) in Brazil. The match was officiated by the refereeing duo of Aleksander Sikanjic from Liechtenstein and Nathan Mahaven from the United States. The total duration of the match was recorded as 90 minutes.

The player rosters for the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team and the Bulgaria National Volleyball Team were reflected in the match report as follows:

• Türkiye Roster: Dilay Özdemir at setter; Yaprak Erkek and Saliha Şahin at outside hitter; Karmen Aksoy and Deniz Uyanık at middle blocker; Defne Başyolcu, Aylin Uysalcan and Beren Yeşilırmak at opposite hitter; and Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın and Melis Yılmaz as liberos. The starting lineup for Türkiye consisted of Dilay Özdemir, Defne Başyolcu, Yaprak Erkek, Saliha Şahin, Karmen Aksoy, Deniz Uyanık, and libero Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın.
• Bulgaria Roster: The roster included Slavcheva, Milanova, Saykova, Stoyanova, Paskova, Naneva, Krasteva, Veneva, Guncheva, Illieva and Nikolova, with Pashkuleva and Todorova as liberos.

^{Fourth Match: Türkiye 3-1 Bulgaria (AA)}

The match was played over four sets, with Türkiye scoring the first point. The set scores were recorded in Türkiye’s favor as 25-12, 25-9, 22-25 and 25-18.

• First Set: Türkiye started the first set strongly. The gap in points widened quickly, and Türkiye won the set 25-12 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
• Second Set: In the second set, Türkiye improved its statistics in spikes and blocks. Holding Bulgaria to only nine points, Türkiye won the set 25-9, extending the overall match score to 2-0. In the first two sets combined, Bulgaria managed only 21 points.
• Third Set: The third set was a more evenly contested battle compared to the previous sets. Bulgaria, making fewer errors in the closing stages, won the set 25-22 to bring the match score to 2-1.
• Fourth Set: Türkiye raised the quality of its serves in the fourth set and reasserted its dominance, closing the set 25-18. With the completion of the fourth set, the match officially ended with Türkiye’s 3-1 victory.

Deniz Uyanık of the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team scored a total of 19 points during the match, becoming the top scorer of the game.

^{Fourth Match: Türkiye 3-1 Bulgaria (AA)}

With the result against Bulgaria, Türkiye concluded the first week of the 2026 VNL Brazil leg with two wins and two losses. The results of Türkiye’s other matches in the first week were as follows: Türkiye defeated the Dominican Republic 3-2 in their first match, won 3-0 against the Netherlands in their second match, and suffered a 3-1 defeat against Italy in their third match.

Following the completion of the Brazil leg, the second leg of the VNL will be held in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, from 17 to 21 June 2026. The official schedule for Türkiye’s matches in the Ankara leg is as follows:

• 17 June 2026, 19:30: Türkiye vs Belgium
• 18 June 2026, 19:30: Türkiye vs France
• 20 June 2026, 19:30: Türkiye vs Germany
• 21 June 2026, 19:30: Türkiye vs the People’s Republic of China