Turkey women's national volleyball team

Turkey
Nickname(s)	Sultans of the Net
Association	Turkish Volleyball Federation
Confederation	CEV
Head coach	Daniele Santarelli
FIVB ranking	4 (as of 8 January 2025)
Uniforms
Home	Away
Summer Olympics
Appearances	3 (First in 2012)
Best result	4th (2024)
World Championship
Appearances	5 (First in 2006)
Best result	6th (2010)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (First in 2003)
Best result	7th (2003)
European Championship
Appearances	16 (First in 1963)
Best result	(2023)
	tvf.org.tr
FIVB Nations League
FIVB World Grand Prix
European Championship
European Games
European League
Montreux Volley Masters
Mediterranean Games
Islamic Solidarity Games

The Turkey women's national volleyball team (Turkish: Türkiye Kadın Voleybol Milli Takımı) is formed by the Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) and represents Turkey in international CEV and FIVB organizations.

The team is the most successful national sports team in the country and has been nicknamed "Filenin Sultanları"^[2] (English: Sultans of the Net) since the 2003 Women's European Volleyball Championship hosted in Ankara, Turkey. It is ranked fourth in the FIVB World Rankings as of 8 January 2025. Daniele Santarelli is the head coach of the team.^[1]

History

Sabiha Gürayman was the first Turkish woman to engage in the game of volleyball, which was introduced in Turkey in the 1910s. As a young woman Gürayman founded and played for the Fenerbahçe women's volleyball team, having previously played in the men's team of that club. Turkish women's volleyball has undergone a rapid transformation since the 2000s, achieving many successes at both club and national level.

The team became the first women's volleyball team to score a perfect season by winning 22 consecutive games between June 29 and September 24 in 2023.^[3] In that period, it completed the final stage of the Nations League, European Championship and Olympic Qualification Round.

Due to the national team's recent successes, particularly since the 2019 summer season, women's volleyball has surged in popularity and is now among the most widely followed sports in Turkey.

Achievements

Summer Olympics

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Summer Olympics record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	L	SW	SL	Squad
1964	did not qualify
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012	Preliminary round	9th place	5	2	3	9	11	Squad
2016	did not qualify
2020	Quarterfinals	5th place	6	3	3	14	11	Squad
2024	Semifinals	4th place	6	3	3	10	14	Squad
2028	future events
Total	0 titles	3/16	17	8	9	33	36

World Championship

Year	Position	W	L
2006^[4]	10th	5	6
2010^[5]	6th	6	5
2014	9th	5	4
2018	10th	5	4
2022	8th	6	4
2025	qualified
Total	5/19	27	23

FIVB World Cup

Year	Position	W	L
2003^[6]	7th	5	6

World Grand Prix

Year	Position	W	L
2008	7th	4	5
2012		10	4
2013	8th	6	3
2014	4th	8	6
2015	11th	2	7
2016	10th	3	6
2017	11th	2	7
Total	7/25	35	38

Nations League

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	L	SW	SL	Squad
2018	Final Round		15	10	5	35	23	Squad
2019	Final Round	4th	19	13	6	43	25	Squad
2021	Final Round		17	12	5	40	24	Squad
2022	Final Round	4th	15	8	7	31	25	Squad
2023	Final Round		15	12	3	40	13	Squad
2024	Final Round	6th	13	8	5	31	21	Squad
2025
Total	6/6		94	63	31	220	131

Mediterranean Games

Year	Position
1975
1979	4th
1983	5th
1987
1991
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2018
2022
2026
Total	13/13

European Championship

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	L	SW	SL
1963	Round Robin	10th	6	3	3	9	10
1967	Round Robin	12th	8	3	5	16	19
1981^[7]	Final Round	12th	8	0	8	1	23
1989^[8]	Final Round	11th	7	2	5	8	17
1995^[9]	Preliminary Round	12th	5	0	5	2	15
2003^[10]	Final		7	5	2	17	6
2005^[11]	Final Round	6th	7	3	4	11	12
2007^[12]	Playoff Round	10th	6	2	4	6	20
2009^[13]	Playoff Round	5th	6	4	2	14	8
2011^[14]	Semifinal		7	5	2	17	11
2013	Quarter Final	7th	5	3	2	9	8
2015	Semifinal	4th	6	4	2	12	8
2017	Semifinal		7	4	3	15	12
2019^[15]	Final		9	7	2	24	12
2021	Semifinal		9	8	1	25	5
2023	Final		9	9	0	27	6
2026
Total	Qualified: 16/33		112	62	50	213	192

European Games

Year	Position	W	L
2015		7	1
Total	1/1	7	1

European League

Year	Position	W	L
2009		11	3
2010		10	5
2011		11	3
2012	8th	5	7
2013	6th	6	6
2014		11	3
2015		11	3
Total	7/12	65	30

Montreux Volley Masters

Year	Position	W	L
2007	6th	2	3
2015		4	1
2016		3	2
2018		4	1
2019	5th	3	1
Total	5/34	16	8

Islamic Solidarity Games

Year	Position	W	L
2017		3	2
2021		4	0
Total	2/2	7	2

Team

Current squad

Roster for the 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League.

Former squads

2003 European Championship — Silver Medal
Bahar Mert, Esra Gümüş, Sinem Akap, Özlem Özçelik, Aysun Özbek, Natalia Hanikoğlu, Mesude Kuyan, Pelin Çelik, Çiğdem Can, Gülden Kayalar, Seda Tokatlıoğlu and Neslihan Darnel. Head coach: Reşat Yazıcıoğulları.
2009 European League — Silver Medal
İpek Soroğlu, Pelin Çelik, Neslihan Darnel, Nihan Yeldan, Seda Tokatlıoğlu, Deniz Hakyemez, Naz Aydemir, Esra Gümüş, Eda Erdem, Duygu Bal, Gözde Kırdar and Gülden Kayalar Head coach: Alessandro Chiappini.
2011 European Championship — Bronze Medal
Asuman Karakoyun, Gözde Kırdar Sonsırma, Gizem Güreşen, Elif Onur, Ergül Avcı, Polen Uslupehlivan, Bahar Toksoy, Güldeniz Önal, Naz Aydemir, Esra Gümüş, Neriman Özsoy, Eda Erdem, Neşve Büyükbayram, Selime İlyasoğlu, Neslihan Darnel, Özge Kırdar Çemberci and Ceren Kestirengöz. Head coach: Marco Aurelio Motta.
2012 FIVB World Grand Prix — Bronze Medal
Gülden Kayalar Kuzubaşıoğlu, Gözde Kırdar Sonsırma, Gizem Güreşen, Ergül Avcı, Bahar Toksoy, Güldeniz Önal, Naz Aydemir, Esra Gümüş, Neriman Özsoy, Eda Erdem, Neslihan Darnel and Nilay Özdemir. Head coach: Marco Aurelio Motta.
2014 European League — Gold Medal
Ezgi Dilik, Kübra Akman, Ceylan Arısan, Bihter Dumanoğlu, Polen Uslupehlivan, Yeliz Başa, Hatice Gizem Örge, Cansu Çetin, Gözde Yılmaz, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Çağla Akın and Özgenur Yurtdagülen. Head coach: Ferhat Akbaş.
2015 Montreux Volley Masters — Gold Medal
Seniye Merve Dalbeler, Gizem Karadayı, Dicle Nur Babat, Kübra Akman, Polen Uslupehlivan, Seda Aslanyürek, Büşra Cansu, Güldeniz Önal Paşalıoğlu (C), Naz Aydemir Akyol, Neriman Özsoy, Gözde Yılmaz, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Aslı Kalaç, Çağla Akın and Ezgi Dağdelenler. Head coach: Ferhat Akbaş.
2015 European Games — Gold Medal
Seniye Merve Dalbeler, Gizem Karadayı, Dicle Nur Babat, Kübra Akman, Polen Uslupehlivan, Seda Aslanyürek, Büşra Cansu, Güldeniz Önal Paşalıoğlu (C), Naz Aydemir Akyol, Neriman Özsoy, Gözde Yılmaz, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Aslı Kalaç and Çağla Akın. Head coach: Ferhat Akbaş.
2015 European League — Silver Medal
Melike Yılmaz, Birgül Güler, Buse Kayacan, Fatma Yıldırım, Ceren Kestirengöz, Ezgi Dilik, Ezgi Dağdelenler, Meryem Boz, Ayşe Melis Gürkaynak, Damla Çakıroğlu, Cansu Aydunoğulları, Serpil Ersarı. Head coach: Ismail Yengil.
2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League — Gold Medal
Gizem Örge, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Ayça Aykaç, Kübra Akman, Hande Baladın, Yasemin Güveli, Meliha Diken, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem (C), Saliha Şahin, Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, İlkin Aydın, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach: Daniele Santarelli.
2023 European Championship — Gold Medal
Gizem Örge, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Ayça Aykaç, Kübra Akman, Hande Baladın, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem (C), Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, İlkin Aydın, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach: Daniele Santarelli.
2024 Summer Olympics — 4th place
Gizem Örge, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladın, Meliha Diken, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem Dündar, Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, İlkin Aydın, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach: Daniele Santarelli.

References

^ ^a ^b GENGÖNÜL, Burak (27 December 2022). "Filenin Sultanları'nın Yeni Başantrenörü Daniele Santarelli". Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu | TVF (in Turkish). Retrieved 27 December 2022.
^ "Filenin Sultanları bu kez üzdü". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Türkiye". voleyballworld.com. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
^ "Women Volleyball XV World Championship 2006 Japan – 31.10–16.11". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XIV World Championship 2010 Japan – 28.10–13.11". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball World Cup 2003 – Japan 01-15.11". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XII European Championship 1981 Sofia (BUL) – 19–27.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XVI European Championship 1989 Stuttgart (FRG) – 02-10.09". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XIX European Championship 1995 Arnhem (NED) 23.09–01.10". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XXIII European Championship 2003 Ankara (TUR) – 20–28.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XXIV European Championship 2005 Zagreb,Pula (CRO) 17–25.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XXV European Championship 2007 Belgium, Luxembourg – 20–30.09". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XXVI European Championship 2009 – Poland 25.09–04.10". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Women Volleyball XXVII European Championship 2011 Serbia and Italy 23.09 – 02.10". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
^ "Serbia silence record-breaking crowd to retain EuroVolley crown". CEV - Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.

"Turkey Women's Volleyball Team Player 2022". ytdevolper.co. 2022-07-30.

External links

[:hc-1] GENGÖNÜL, Burak (27 December 2022). "Filenin Sultanları'nın Yeni Başantrenörü Daniele Santarelli". Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu | TVF (in Turkish). Retrieved 27 December 2022.

[2] "Filenin Sultanları bu kez üzdü". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2013-08-18. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[3] "Türkiye". voleyballworld.com. Retrieved 24 September 2023.

[4] "Women Volleyball XV World Championship 2006 Japan – 31.10–16.11". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[5] "Women Volleyball XIV World Championship 2010 Japan – 28.10–13.11". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[6] "Women Volleyball World Cup 2003 – Japan 01-15.11". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[7] "Women Volleyball XII European Championship 1981 Sofia (BUL) – 19–27.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[8] "Women Volleyball XVI European Championship 1989 Stuttgart (FRG) – 02-10.09". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[9] "Women Volleyball XIX European Championship 1995 Arnhem (NED) 23.09–01.10". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[10] "Women Volleyball XXIII European Championship 2003 Ankara (TUR) – 20–28.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[11] "Women Volleyball XXIV European Championship 2005 Zagreb,Pula (CRO) 17–25.09". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[12] "Women Volleyball XXV European Championship 2007 Belgium, Luxembourg – 20–30.09". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[13] "Women Volleyball XXVI European Championship 2009 – Poland 25.09–04.10". Todor 66. Archived from the original on 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[14] "Women Volleyball XXVII European Championship 2011 Serbia and Italy 23.09 – 02.10". Todor 66. Retrieved 2013-08-24.

[15] "Serbia silence record-breaking crowd to retain EuroVolley crown". CEV - Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.

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Women's national volleyball teams of Europe (CEV)
BVA (Sv)	Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Greece Kosovo Malta Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Romania Serbia
EEVZA (Pl)	Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Estonia Georgia Latvia Lithuania Poland Russia Ukraine
MEVZA (Sv)	Austria Czech Republic Cyprus Croatia Hungary Israel Slovakia Slovenia
NEVZA (Sv)	Denmark England Finland Faroe Islands Greenland Iceland Norway Sweden
WEVZA (Sv)	Belgium France Italy Germany Netherlands Portugal Switzerland Spain
SCA (Sv)	Andorra Faroe Islands Gibraltar Greenland Ireland Iceland Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Monaco Northern Ireland San Marino Scotland Wales
Defunct	Czechoslovakia East Germany Serbia and Montenegro Soviet Union Yugoslavia Great Britain (Inactive)

National sports teams of Turkey
Men	Amputee football Baseball Basketball U-20 U-18 & U-19 U-16 & U-17 3x3 Beach handball Beach soccer Cricket Curling U-21 Field hockey Football U-21 U-20 U-19 U-18 U-17 Futsal Goalball Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey U-20 U-18 Rugby league Rugby union Rugby sevens Tennis Volleyball U-23 U-21 U-19 Water polo Wheelchair basketball
Women	Basketball U-20 U-18 & U-19 U-16 & U-17 3x3 Beach handball Cricket Curling U-21 Field hockey Indoor hockey Football U-21 U-19 U-17 Goalball Handball Ice hockey U-18 Rugby league Rugby sevens Tennis U-23 U-21 U-19 Water polo Wheelchair basketball
Mixed	Badminton Baseball5 Curling Korfball
Olympics Paralympics Deaflympics European Games European Youth Games Mediterranean Games Universiade