Turkey women's national volleyball team
Women's national volleyball team representing Türkiye
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The Turkey women's national volleyball team (Turkish: Türkiye kadın millî voleybol takımı) is formed by the Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) and represents Turkey in international CEV and FIVB organizations.
- Filenin Sultanları
- (Sultans of the Net)
The Turkey women's national volleyball team achieved its greatest success during the period from 2017 to 2023, winning medals at the European Championships in consecutive editions. Turkey claimed its first European title in 2023, defeating Serbia in the final of the European Championship.[2]
The team is the most successful national sports team in the country and has been nicknamed "Filenin Sultanları"[3] (English: Sultans of the Net) since the 2003 Women's European Volleyball Championship hosted in Ankara, Turkey. As of 8 September 2025, the team is ranked third in the FIVB World Rankings. Daniele Santarelli is the head coach of the team.[4]
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.
The Turkish women's national team played its first international match in 1957 at the International Istanbul Tournament against Romania, with a squad consisting of Ayten Salih, Nazmiye Kor, Güneş Çapa, Seta Yağcıoğlu, Ayda Caner, Seda Acudoğulu, Ümran Okay, Siray Arca, Fatma Egenen, Gülçin Eroğlu, Tomris Göksan and Nezin Mutibaş. The team recorded its first victory on 22 July 1961, defeating West Germany 3–2.[5]
Turkey debuted at the European Championship in 1963, finishing 10th, and hosted the 1967 edition, finishing 12th. In 2003, Turkey won the silver medal at the European Championship on home soil, with Neslihan Demir as their top player. Turkish women's volleyball has undergone a rapid transformation since the 2000s, achieving many successes at both club and national team 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, 2023.[6] In that period, it completed the final stage of the Nations League, European Championship and Olympic Qualification Round. The team furthermore played the semi-final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and won the silver medal at the 2025 FIVB World Championship. 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 | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 14 | Squad |
| 2028 |
future events | |||||||
| 2032 | ||||||||
| Total | 0 titles | 3/18 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 33 | 36 | |
World Championship
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place
| World Championship record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | L | SW | SL | Squad |
| 2006 |
9th–12th places | 10th Place | 11 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 22 | Squad |
| 2010 |
5th–8th places | 6th Place | 11 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 22 | Squad |
 2014 |
Second round | 9th Place | 9 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 15 | Squad |
| 2018 |
Second round | 10th Place | 9 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 15 | Squad |
  2022 |
Quarterfinals | 8th place | 10 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 16 | Squad |
 2025 |
Final | Runners-up | 7 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 5 | Squad |
| 2027 |
future events | |||||||
 2029 | ||||||||
| Total | 0 Titles | 6/22 | 57 | 33 | 24 | 117 | 95 | — |
FIVB World Cup
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
World Grand Prix
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Nations League
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | L | SW | SL | Squad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Final | Runners-up | 15 | 10 | 5 | 35 | 23 | Squad |
| 2019 | Semifinals | Fourth place | 19 | 13 | 6 | 43 | 25 | Squad |
| 2021 | Semifinals | Third place | 17 | 12 | 5 | 40 | 24 | Squad |
 2022 | Semifinals | Fourth place | 15 | 8 | 7 | 31 | 25 | Squad |
| 2023 | Final | Champions | 15 | 12 | 3 | 40 | 13 | Squad |
| 2024 | Quarterfinals | 6th | 13 | 8 | 5 | 31 | 21 | Squad |
| 2025 | Quarterfinals | 6th | 13 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 20 | Squad |
 2026 | Final | Champions | 15 | 12 | 3 | 39 | 21 | Squad |
 2027 |
qualified | |||||||
| Total | 9/9 | 122 | 83 | 39 | 289 | 172 | ||
Mediterranean Games
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
European Championship
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
| 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[9] | Final Round | 12th | 8 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 23 | |
| 1989[10] | Final Round | 11th | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 | |
| 1995[11] | Preliminary Round | 12th | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15 | |
| 2003[12] | Final | Runners-up | 7 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 6 | |
 2005[13] | Final Round | 6th | 7 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | |
  2007[14] | Playoff Round | 10th | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | |
| 2009[15] | Playoff Round | 5th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 8 | |
 2011[16] | Semifinals | Third place | 7 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 11 | |
| 2013 | Quarter Final | 7th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 8 | |
| 2015 | Semifinals | Fourth place | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 8 | |
  2017 | Semifinals | Third place | 7 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 12 | |
  2019[17] | Final | Runners-up | 9 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 12 | |
| 2021 | Semifinals | Third place | 9 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 5 | |
 2023 | Final | Champions | 9 | 9 | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
  2026 | ||||||||
| 2028 |
To be determined | |||||||
| Total | Qualified: 16/35 | 112 | 62 | 50 | 213 | 192 | ||
European Games
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
| Year | Position | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 |  | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 1/1 | 7 | 1 |
European League
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Montreux Volley Masters
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Islamic Solidarity Games
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Team
Current squad
Roster for the 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship.
- Head coach:
Daniele Santarelli - Asst. coach: Andrea Zotta
| No. | Pos. | Player | Birth date and age | Height (cm) | Block (cm) | Spike (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | Gizem Örge | 26 April 1993 | 173 | 263 | 270 |
| 3 | S | Cansu Özbay | 17 October 1996 | 179 | 294 | 299 |
| 4 | OP | Melissa Vargas | 16 October 1999 | 194 | 315 | 325 |
| 6 | OH | Saliha Şahin | 5 November 1998 | 186 | 294 | 304 |
| 7 | OH | Hande Baladın | 1 September 1997 | 187 | 304 | 310 |
| 8 | MB | Sinead Jack Kısal | 8 November 1993 | 195 | 304 | 310 |
| 10 | L | Eylül Yatgın | 1 October 1999 | 170 | 270 | 285 |
| 11 | OP | Derya Cebecioğlu | 24 October 2000 | 181 | 303 | 308 |
| 12 | S | Elif Şahin | 19 January 2001 | 184 | 302 | 306 |
| 14 | MB | Eda Erdem (C) | 22 June 1987 | 188 | 302 | 315 |
| 15 | MB | Deniz Uyanık | 25 June 2001 | 195 | 310 | 315 |
| 18 | MB | Zehra Güneş | 7 July 1999 | 198 | 312 | 318 |
| 20 | OH | Yaprak Erkek | 2 September 2001 | 182 | 295 | 300 |
| 22 | OH | İlkin Aydın | 5 January 2000 | 183 | 298 | 299 |
Current squad B
Roster for the 2026 Mediterranean Games.
- Head coach:
Gökhan Durmaz - Asst. coach: Hakan Can Turan
| No. | Pos. | Player | Birth date and age | Height (cm) | Block (cm) | Spike (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | Simay Kurt | 29 July 2000 | 173 | 260 | 285 |
| 4 | OH | Tuğba İvegin | 2 February 1998 | 184 | 260 | 265 |
| 5 | MB | Merve Atlıer | 9 August 2006 | 191 | 305 | 310 |
| 8 | OP | Defne Başyolcu | 31 March 2000 | 193 | 304 | 316 |
| 10 | OH | İdil Naz Başcan | 31 March 2000 | 185 | 290 | 300 |
| 12 | S | Arelya Karasoy Koçaş (C) | 14 December 1996 | 181 | 283 | 291 |
| 13 | S | Dilay Özdemir | 15 August 2005 | 189 | 288 | 304 |
| 14 | OH | Liza Safronova | 17 January 2006 | 193 | 283 | 291 |
| 16 | MB | Berka Buse Özden | 16 April 2004 | 187 | 310 | 315 |
| 26 | MB | Begüm Kaçmaz | 26 April 2007 | 188 | 270 | 296 |
| 34 | OP | Beren Yeşilırmak | 1 June 2005 | 186 | 268 | 290 |
| 77 | OH | Aylin Uysalcan | 13 July 2009 | 196 | 305 | 320 |
Former squads
- 2003 Women's European Volleyball 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:
- 2009 Women's European Volleyball 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:
- 2010 Women's European Volleyball League —
Bronze Medal
Pelin Çelik, Deniz Hakyemez, Esra Gümüş, Neslihan Demir, Gökçen Denkel, Seray Altay, Seda Aslanyürek, İpek Soroğlu, Merve Dalbeler, Neriman Özsoy, Nihan Güneyligil, Eda Erdem, Gizem Karadayi, Bahar Toksoy, Naz Aydemir, Büşra Kılıçlı, Neşve Büyükbayram, Asuman Karakoyun, Dilara Bilge, Duygu Bal, Polen Uslupehlivan, Meryem Boz, Elif Onur Head coach:
- 2011 Women's European Volleyball League — Silver Medal
Asuman Karakoyun, Gizem Güreşen, Elif Onur, Polen Uslupehlivan, Bahar Toksoy, Güldeniz Önal, Naz Aydemir, Esra Gümüş, Eda Erdem, Neşve Büyükbayram, Selime İlyasoğlu, Neslihan Demir, Ceren Kapucu. Head coach:
Marco Aurelio Motta.
- 2011 Women's European Volleyball 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:
- 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:
- 2014 Women's European Volleyball 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:
- 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:
- 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:
- 2015 Women's European Volleyball 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 Aydınoğulları, Serpil Ersarı. Head coach:
- 2016 Montreux Volley Masters— Bronze Medal
Gizem Örge, Seniye Merve Dalbeler, Gizem Karadayi, Tutku Burcu Yüzgenç, Kübra Akman, Polen Uslupehlivan, Hande Baladın, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Aslı Kalaç, Güldeniz Önal, Naz Aydemir, Melis Durul, Melike Neziha Yilmaz, Eda Erdem, Arelya Karasoy, Ceylan Arısan, Nursevil Aydinlar, Zehra Güneş, Ezgi Dilik, Gözde Yılmaz, Özgenur Yurtdagülen, Fatma Yıldırım. Head coach:
- 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games — Silver Medal
Melike Yılmaz, Bihter Dumanoğlu, Gizem Mısra Aşçı, Yağmur Mislina Kılıç, Rida Erlalelitepe, Ada Germen, Su Zent, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Hümay Topaloğlu, Hande Naz Şimşek, Janset Cemre Erkul, Arelya Karasoy, Nursevil Aydınlar, Buse Melis Kara. Head coach:
- 2017 Women's European Volleyball Championship — Bronze Medal
Gizem Örge, Gözde Kırdar Bracceschi, Kübra Akman, Merve Dalbeler, Polen Uslupehlivan, Bahar Toksoy, Güldeniz Önal, Naz Aydemir, Neriman Özsoy, Eda Erdem, Hande Baladın, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Gamze Alikaya, Meryem Boz. Head coach:
- 2018 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League — Silver Medal
Gizem Örge, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Kübra Akman, Beyza Arıcı, Şeyma Ercan, Hande Baladın, Buse Ünal, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Fulden Ural, Aslıhan Kılıç, Cansu Özbay, Meryem Boz, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, Gamze Alikaya, Ceren Kapucu, Aylin Sarıoğlu, Yağmur Mislina Kılıç, Ebrar Karakurt, Saliha Şahin, Yasemin Güveli. Head coach:
- 2018 Montreux Volley Masters — Bronze Medal
Gizem Örge, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Beyza Arıcı, Şeyma Ercan, Hande Baladın, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Çağla Akın, Meryem Boz, Eda Erdem, Ebrar Karakurt, Zehra Güneş, Aylin Sarıoğlu. Head coach:
- 2019 Women's European Volleyball Championship — Silver Medal
Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Şeyma Ercan, Kübra Akman, Hande Baladın, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Naz Aydemir, Gözde Yılmaz, Meryem Boz, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, Aylin Sarıoğlu, Fatma Yıldırım, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach:
- 2021 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League — Bronze Medal
Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Tuğba Şenoğlu, Şeyma Ercan, Kübra Akman, Hande Baladın, Yasemin Güveli, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Ayça Aykaç, Naz Aydemir, Meryem Boz, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach:
- 2021 Islamic Solidarity Games — Gold Medal
Melis Yılmaz, İlkin Aydın, Emine Arıcı, Ezgi Akyaldız, Buket Gülübay, Aslıhan Kılıç, Ayçin Akyol, Buse Kayacan, Zeynep Sude Demirel, Yasemin Özel, Yasemin Yıldırım, Ceren Kapucu, Yaprak Erkek, İdil Naz Başcan. Head coach:
- 2021 Women's European Volleyball Championship — Bronze Medal
Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Tuğba Şenoğlu, Hande Baladın, Yasemin Güveli, Meliha İsmailoğlu, Ayça Aykaç, Buse Ünal, Meryem Boz, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, İlkin Aydın, Beliz Başkır, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach:
- 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:
- 2023 Women's European Volleyball 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:
Gizem Örge, Simge Şebnem Aköz, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Ayça Aykaç, Kübra Akman, Hande Baladın, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, İlkin Aydın, Ebrar Karakurt Head coach:
- 2024 Summer Olympics — 4th place
Gizem Örge, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladın, Meliha Diken, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem Dündar(C), Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, İlkin Aydın, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach:
- 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games — Gold Medal
Selin Adalı, Ege Melisa Bükmen, Berka Buse Özden, Aslı Tecimer, Nazlı Eda Kafkas, Merve Nur Öztürk, Dilay Özdemir, Liza Safronova, Deniz Uyanık, Defne Başyolcu Ayşe Çürük Karmen Aksoy. Head coach:
- 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship — Silver Medal
Gizem Örge, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladın, Sinead Jack, Derya Cebecioğlu, Elif Şahin, Eda Erdem, Zehra Güneş, Aslı Kalaç, Yaprak Erkek, İlkin Aydın, Eylül Akarçeşme, Ebrar Karakurt. Head coach:
- 2026 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League — Gold Medal
Gizem Örge, Cansu Özbay, Melissa Vargas, Saliha Şahin, Hande Baladın, Sinead Jack Kısal, Eylül Yatgın, Elif Şahin, Deniz Uyanık, Berka Buse Özden, Zehra Güneş, Yaprak Erkek, İlkin Aydın, Defne Başyolcu. Head coach:
See also
- Women's
- Turkey Women's national volleyball team U23
- Turkey Women's national volleyball team U20
- Turkey Women's national volleyball team U18
- Men's
- Turkey Men's national volleyball team
- Turkey Men's national volleyball team U23
- Turkey Men's national volleyball team U21
- Turkey Men's national volleyball team U19
