Türkiye Sweeps China to Reach VNL Final Against Brazil

Türkiye swept hosts China 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-20) in the second VNL semifinal in Macao on July 25, 2026, in front of nearly five thousand fans, booking a spot in Sunday's gold medal final against Brazil.

Opposite Melissa Vargas led the offense throughout, helping Türkiye break away in the first set after it was tied 9-9. Türkiye dominated the second set behind middle blocker Zehra Gunes' blocking, and closed out the third after the score was last level at 14-14.

Vargas finished with a match-high 23 points, including an ace and a block. İlkin Aydın added 15 points at a 68% hitting efficiency, while Hande Baladın contributed 11 points and Gunes led all blockers with four stuffs. Türkiye outhit China 54-36 in successful attacks.

Vargas reflected on the win: "It was a very important victory for Türkiye that took us to the final." She added that she expects a tight, point-for-point battle against Brazil in the final.

For China, outside hitter Zhuang Yushan was the team's top scorer with 15 points. Middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan said the team would refocus for the bronze medal match against Italy: "We cherish every medal game."

This marks Türkiye's third VNL final appearance, after winning gold in 2023. China will play Italy for bronze on Sunday.