Melissa Vargas produced a match-high 27 points as Turkiye came from a set down to defeat Canada 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-17) in the women's Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals in Macao on Thursday, booking a spot in the semifinals for the first time since 2023.
The world No. 4 Turkish side showed their class after a sluggish first set, tightening their defence and cutting unforced errors to just 12 across the final three frames — almost half of Canada's 23. Head coach Daniele Santarelli's team out-served their opponents 8-5 in aces and out-blocked them 9-7, turning a 17-12 deficit in the third set into a decisive momentum shift.
Vargas, the Turkish-Cuban opposite hitter, was relentless. She registered a 54 per cent kill rate in attack, hammered four aces, and delivered in every crucial moment. Her 11-point second set — including two aces and the set-winning block-out — levelled the match after Canada's strong opening.
Outside hitter Hande Baladin backed Vargas with 14 points and praised the team's growth after the match. "Every day, we learn something new about our team, and every day, I feel like we are improving, we are showing some good stuff," Baladin told VBTV. Middle blocker Zehra Gunes contributed 12 points with three kill blocks and two aces, while Ilkin Aydin added 11.
Canada, making their debut in the VNL Finals, pushed hard throughout. Opposite Kiera Van Ryk matched Vargas with 27 points of her own, including four aces and a kill block. Outside hitters Alexa Gray and 20-year-old Abagayle Guezen each tallied 14 points. Canada actually out-hit Turkiye 60-57 in spike kills, but 23 unforced errors proved costly.
"We were able to make it here and play some high-level matches throughout the last two months. It's an amazing experience for us," said Van Ryk. "We did a couple of things that obviously we didn't want to do, and they played well."
Turkiye now await the winner of the final quarterfinal between the United States and hosts China, which will determine their semifinal opponent on Saturday. This marks Turkey's sixth VNL semifinal appearance and their first since 2023.
Sources
- https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/volleyball-nations-league/news/27-points-by-vargas-fuel-turkiye-in-four-set-turnaround-against-canada
