(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Türkiye and Serbia Complete Volleyball World Championship Warm-Up Series
As the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship approaches, two of the tournament favorites, Türkiye and Serbia, faced off in a thrilling three-match friendly series held in Antalya, Türkiye, as part of their final preparations.
Türkiye Takes First Two Matches in Style
Playing at the Gloria Sports Arena, the home crowd saw Türkiye dominate the first match on Monday, sweeping Serbia 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-23). An additional set was played for practice, which Serbia won 25-21.
Key performances came from Ebrar Karakurt (17 points: 13 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces) and Melissa Vargas (15 points: 9 kills, 4 aces, 2 blocks). On the Serbian side, Aleksandra Uzelac scored 14 points, while Tijana Bošković added 13.
In the second match on Tuesday, Türkiye again came out on top, but this time in a thrilling five-set battle: 3-2 (22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18, 18-16).
Returning to the court for the first time this season, Turkish captain Eda Erdem impressed with 15 points. Derya Cebecioğlu led scoring with 19, followed by Hande Baladın with 18. Serbia’s Vanja Bukilić scored 18 points, ahead of Katarina Lazović with 15.
Serbia Strikes Back in Final Match
The third and final match, played on Wednesday, saw both teams field their best lineups. This time, Serbia dominated, winning 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 26-24) and also claiming the extra set (32-30).
Bošković led the Serbian side with 20 points, closely followed by Uzelac with 19. For Türkiye, Vargas tallied 16 points and Karakurt added 12.
Türkiye missed their experienced libero, Simge Aköz, who is currently recovering from thumb surgery.
What’s Next: FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2025
The tournament will take place in Thailand from August 22 to September 7, 2025.
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Türkiye will compete in Pool E in Nakhon Ratchasima, alongside Canada, Bulgaria, and Spain.
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Serbia, the two-time defending champions, will begin their campaign in Bangkok, facing Japan, Ukraine, and Cameroon in Pool H.
With strong showings in the friendlies, both teams are entering the championship with momentum and high expectations.
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