Türkiye open EuroVolley title defense with 3-0 Latvia win

Türkiye's national women's volleyball team opened their Trendyol 2026 European Championship campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Latvia at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Friday, displaying the offensive prowess that secured them the continental crown two years prior. The reigning champions controlled the Group A encounter from the outset, completing the straight-set win in 77 minutes with scores of 25-17, 25-16, and 25-16.

Vargas and Güneş lead the charge

The hosts established early dominance behind effective serving and powerful attacks from Melissa Vargas, building a commanding 19-12 lead in the opening frame before closing it out at 25-17. Türkiye carried that momentum into the second set with a decisive 7-0 run, and though Latvia narrowed the gap midway through, a crucial middle attack from Zehra Güneş helped seal the 25-16 victory and maintain control through the third set.

Upcoming fixtures

The Sultans of the Net will face Slovenia in their second group match on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. local time (1600GMT) as they continue their pursuit of back-to-back European titles. The championship tournament, featuring the continent's top national teams, is scheduled to run through September 6 across multiple host cities.