Türkiye wins back-to-back European volleyball titles

Türkiye's women's national volleyball team secured its second straight European Championship crown in 2026, defeating all challengers on home soil in Istanbul to cap a historic season that saw the country dominate continental competitions at both international and club levels. The victory marked the country's seventh European Championship medal overall — comprising two golds, two silvers and three bronzes — and secured a podium finish for the fifth consecutive edition of the tournament.

Clubs sweep continental honors

VakıfBank claimed the CEV Champions League trophy after overcoming domestic rivals in an all-Turkish final, while Galatasaray captured the CEV Cup to give the nation's clubs both major European titles. The national team added the Volleyball Nations League crown — its second in the competition's history — along with gold at the Mediterranean Games.

The European triumph secured the continent's qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. VakıfBank and Eczacıbaşı are scheduled to represent Türkiye at the FIVB Women's Club World Championship from Dec. 8 to 13.

Host nation ends 15-year drought

Türkiye became the first host nation to lift the European trophy in 15 years, breaking a sequence in which Germany, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Serbia and Italy had all failed to convert home advantage into titles since Serbia's 2011 triumph. The Istanbul victory ended the longest drought for host champions in the tournament's modern history.

Veterans lead individual honors

Captain Eda Erdem collected the sixth European Championship medal of her career with the 2026 victory, having previously won bronze in 2011, 2017 and 2021, silver in 2019, and gold in 2023. Melissa Vargas earned tournament MVP honors for the second consecutive edition, bringing her career total of such awards to 10 across continental, global and domestic competitions.

Vargas also received MVP honors in the 2023 triumph. The national team will enter the Olympic qualification period as the reigning European champion.