TEAM COMPOSITION

More recently, Turkey finished second in the 2003 European Championships and added the bronze medal in 2011. In the European Volleyball League, they finished second, third and second from 2009 to 2011 and sixth in 2013. The Turkish women have improved in the FIVB’s global tournaments as well. In 2003, they finished seventh at the World Cup and since then, they have managed to place 10th (2006) and sixth (2010) at the World Championships, and seventh in the 2008 World Grand Prix.

Since that time, the team has been improving and they are now a force to be reckoned with, capturing the bronze medal in last year’s FIVB World Grand Prix and qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time where they performed admirably, sitting on the verge of the quarterfinals having beaten Serbia and Korea before Brazil edged them by one point after Turkey lost their last pool match to USA in straight sets and the eventual champions beat Serbia by the same margin. This year they also took the silver medal at the Mediterranean Games in June, losing to Italy in the final on home soil.

Much to everyone’s pleasure, the only change in Turkey’s squad from last year’s superb performances is on the coaching bench where former Italian chief Massimo Barbolini has taken the reins over from Brazil’s Marco Aurelio Motta. Captain Esra Gumus and star attackers Neslihan Darnel and Neriman Ozsoy are three of 10 players who are returning from last year’s Olympics.