With Örge and Akman back and Vargas in, Santarelli announces Turkish squad

The much-anticipated first selection of head coach Daniele Santarelli ahead of the Turkish women’s national team featured the return of some familiar faces to the squad and the first call-up of star opposite Melissa Vargas.

Santarelli, who took over Türkiye last December, just a few months after guiding Serbia to their second-straight world title, has announced a list of 30 players to be a part of the squad in the season, which will begin in less than a month with the Volleyball Nations League 2023.

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The new coach brought back some players with history with the Turkish national team, but who weren’t utilized by his predecessor Giovanni Guidetti over the last few years, to join key players such as opposite Ebrar Karakurt, outside hitter Hande Baladin and middle blockers Eda Erdem and Zehra Güneş.

Among the returning faces are middle blockers Kübra Akman and Aslı Kalaç, who were both part of the squad that took bronze in the VNL 2021, but never wore the Turkish uniform again after that season. Two other impactful returning players are libero Gizem Örge and outside hitter Neriman Özsoy, who last featured in the Turkish national team back in 2019.

On the other hand, opposite Meryem Boz and libero Aylin Acar, who both were with the team during the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, won’t be a part of the squad this season.

The VNL 2023 will also mark the first appearance of the 23-year-old Vargas with the Turkish national team. The Cuban-born opposite has been playing for clubs in the country since 2018 and is now eligible to represent the national team after becoming a Turkish citizen.

“We have a large group of players to work with and the idea is that we use more than 20 of them during the VNL,” Santarelli said in an interview with Turkish media TRT Spor. “It will be a great opportunity for me to get to know all of them. Some of the players in the list haven’t played for the national team in some years now, but I think that’s normal when a new coach takes over.”

The Turkish will start the VNL at home, playing Korea, Serbia, Italy and the USA in front of their home fans in Antalya from May 30-June 4. In 2023, the Sultans of the Net will also compete in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where they will face Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan, Peru and Puerto Rico, and the European Championship.

Türkiye women’s national team full roster:

Setters: Buse Ünal, Cansu Özbay, Dilay Özdemir, Elif Şahin, Sıla Çalışkan
Opposites: Defne Başyolcu, Ebrar Karakurt, Melissa Vargas, Tutku Burcu Yüzgenç
Outside hitters: Derya Cebecioğlu, Hande Baladin, İlkin Aydın, Meliha Diken, Neriman Özsoy, Saliha Şahin, Tuğba İvegin, Yaprak Erkek
Middle blockers: Aslı Kalaç, Ayçin Akyol, Beyza Arıcı, Eda Erdem, Kübra Akman, Yasemin Güveli, Zehra Güneş, Zeynep Sude Demire
Liberos: Ayça Aykaç, Eylül Akarçeşme, Gizem Örge, Melis Yılmaz, Simge Aköz

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