Santarelli preserves Türkiye’s core for the VNL 2025

A few days after guiding Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano to their seventh-straight title in the Italian League, head coach Daniele Santarelli turned his attention to the international season and announced Türkiye’s 30-player squad for the Volleyball Nations League 2025.

Besides the VNL, the Turkish, who are currently fourth in the FIVB World Rankings, will also compete in the FIVB World Championship over the next few months.

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Set to start his third season with the Sultans of the Net, the Italian coach will bring back the core of the squad that made it to the semifinals of the Paris Olympics last year. From the 13 players who made the trip to France, only two are not part of the list – team captain Eda Erdem, who’s expected to join the team later in the season after taking some time off, and middle blocker Beyza Arıcı.

Türkiye’s leading scorers in the last few seasons, star opposite Melissa Vargas and opposite/outside hitter Ebrar Karakurt will both be back, as well as setters Cansu Özbay and Elif Şahin, middle blocker Zehra Güneş and libero Gizem Örge.

Among the new faces called up by Santarelli, stand out 21-year-old opposite Alexia Căruțașu and 31-year-old middle blocker Sinead Jack-Kısal. Other players earning their first national team selections are outside hitters Ayşe Çürük and Ege Melisa Bükmen and middle blocker Berka Buse Özden.

VNL starts in China

The VNL 2025 will start for Türkiye in Beijing, China, where the Europeans will face France, Thailand, Poland and the host country from June 4-8.

At the World Championship, which will be held in Thailand, from August 22-September 7, the Turkish will start their campaign in Pool E, having Canada, Bulgaria and Spain as their first opponents.

Türkiye women’s national team roster (subject to eligibility check to be conducted by the FIVB):

Setters: Buse Ünal, Cansu Özbay, Dilay Özdemir, Elif Şahin, Sıla Çalışkan
Opposites: Alexia Căruțașu, Defne Başyolcu, Ebrar Karakurt, Melissa Vargas, Tutku Burcu Yüzgenç
Оutside hitters: Ayşe Çürük, Derya Cebecioğlu, Ege Melisa Bükmen, Hande Baladın, Ilkin Aydın, Meliha Diken, Saliha Şahin, Yaprak Erkek
Middle blockers: Aslı Kalaç, Ayçin Akyol, Bahar Akbay, Berka Buse Özden, Deniz Uyanık, Sinead Jack-Kısal, Yasemin Güveli, Zehra Güneş
Liberos: Ayça Aykaç, Eylül Akarçeşme Yatgın, Gizem Örge, Simge Aköz

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