Türkiye vs China | Legendary Volleyball Match That Shocked the World

Türkiye vs China | Legendary Volleyball Match That Shocked the World. Türkiye and China delivered a dramatic five-set battle in Week 2 of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2026! Played on June 21 at Ankara Sports Hall, this thrilling encounter saw Türkiye recover from a 2–1 deficit to defeat China 3–2 (25–21, 26–28, 23–25, 25–16, 15–12), completing an unbeaten four-match campaign in front of their home supporters.

Türkiye started strongly, building a 16–10 lead before taking the opening set 25–21. The hosts established another 16–10 advantage in the second set, but China produced an impressive comeback, fighting back to win a tense finish 28–26 and level the match.

China continued their surge in the third set, racing into a 9–3 lead. Despite Türkiye closing the gap, the Chinese team held firm to take the set 25–23 and move within one set of victory. With their backs against the wall, Türkiye responded with their strongest set of the match, pulling away to win the fourth 25–16 and force a decisive tiebreak. Under intense pressure, the hosts finished the job 15–12 to complete the comeback!

Melissa Vargas delivered a sensational 36-point performance, leading all scorers with 29 successful attacks, four aces and three blocks. İlkin Aydın contributed 13 points, Sinead Jack added 12, Berka Buse Özden scored nine and Hande Baladın finished with six.

Gong Xiangyu led China with 22 points, including 20 successful attacks and two aces. Zhuang Yushan added 14 points, Tang Xin contributed 12 and Dong Yuhan scored 11 as China pushed Türkiye through five fiercely contested sets.

Türkiye finished ahead in attack points, 68–65, and service aces, 6–4, while both teams recorded eight blocks. China conceded 32 points through errors compared with Türkiye’s 25, and the hosts finished with a 114–102 advantage in total points.

The victory completed Türkiye’s perfect Ankara week following wins over Belgium, France and Germany. Vargas finished those four matches with an outstanding 107 points, including 32 against Germany and 36 against China. Before the match, Meliha Diken was honoured for her contribution to the Turkish national team, adding an emotional moment to a memorable evening.