Poland and Türkiye book their places in a star-studded EuroVolleyW semifinal line-up

The final four of the 2026 CEV Women’s European Volleyball Championship is now complete, and it promises two heavyweight clashes.
Poland and Türkiye both secured their places in the semifinals in Istanbul on Thursday, with Stefano Lavarini’s side overcoming the Netherlands 3-1 and the reigning European champions beating Germany by the same score.

For Poland, the victory was particularly significant.
The White-and-Reds reached the semifinals for the first time since 2019 and moved within one victory of a European Championship medal, something they have not achieved since taking bronze in 2009. They also ended a long wait against the Netherlands at this tournament: Poland had not beaten the Dutch at EuroVolley since 1983, with the Netherlands having won their previous four meetings at the competition.
The quarterfinal in Istanbul lasted 129 minutes and followed a familiar pattern of momentum swings, but Poland ultimately had too much quality at the net. The Dutch made the better start, moving 4-1 ahead, only for Poland to immediately respond and level the score. From there, Magdalena Jurczyk’s presence at the net became increasingly influential, as Poland gradually pulled away. Once Lavarini’s team reached 15-10, the first set was firmly under their control, and an ace from Monika Lampkowska helped extend the advantage to 22-14 before Poland closed it out 25-16.
The Netherlands responded strongly in the second set. Felix Koslowski’s team increased the speed of their game and, after a balanced opening, gradually established control. Poland were unable to produce the same pressure they had generated in the first set, and the Dutch levelled the match at 1-1 with a 25-20 win.
Lavarini reacted, and so did his team. Poland immediately took a 3-0 lead in the third set and maintained a narrow advantage throughout. One of the important changes came when Paulina Damaske replaced Lampkowska. Her impact was immediate in the closing stages, as she produced crucial points to help Poland win the set 25-20 and regain the lead.
The fourth set was the real battle.
The Netherlands opened with a 3-1 advantage, Poland turned the score around to lead 9-7, and from that moment neither side was able to establish control for long. Jurczyk continued to be a major factor at the net, including a block that put Poland 15-13 ahead, but the Netherlands fought back to 19-17.
That was when Poland found another gear.
Martyna Czyrniańska delivered an important ace, and the White-and-Reds began to seize control of the decisive rallies. Jurczyk then produced another key block to create match point, before Damaske finished the job. Poland won the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

The statistics underlined how important Poland’s work at the net had been.
The winners registered 17 blocks, with five apiece for Jurczyk and Maja Koput. Julita Piasecka and Magdalena Stysiak led Poland’s scoring with 14 points each, while Jurczyk added 13. For the Netherlands, Elles Dambrink was the match’s top scorer with 18 points, followed by Jasper with 15.
The atmosphere, however, provided an unusual contrast to the importance of the occasion. Television images showed a large number of empty seats during the Poland-Netherlands quarterfinal, despite the fact that a place in the European Championship semifinals was at stake.
The 4:00 PM local start was widely regarded as one possible reason for the modest attendance, creating a surprisingly subdued setting for such a crucial match.

The situation was dramatically different later in the day.
Türkiye faced Germany at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in front of a huge home crowd, with the defending champions eventually winning 3-1. Germany made the match far more difficult than the final score might suggest, repeatedly challenging the tournament favourites and taking the second set 25-22 after Türkiye had won the opener 25-18.
The third set restored Türkiye’s authority. The home side regained control and won it 25-18, but Germany refused to disappear. The fourth set remained competitive deep into the closing stages, forcing the reigning champions to stay focused until the very last rally.
There was even a moment of confusion at the end. At 24-21, an attack by Eda Erdem Dündar initially appeared to have given Türkiye the winning point. A video challenge overturned the call, leaving the score unchanged and extending the drama. Germany saved another match point, but Türkiye finally converted the next opportunity to win 25-22 and seal another appearance in the European Championship semifinals.
Melissa Vargas once again led the Turkish attack, finishing with 26 points. Eda Erdem Dündar contributed 12, while Lina Alsmeier was Germany’s leading scorer with 13 and Leana Grozer added 12. The German campaign nevertheless deserves considerable credit: after eliminating Belgium in the round of 16 despite Belgium having completed the group stage with five victories from five matches, Germany pushed the defending champions to the limit before finally bowing out.

For Türkiye, the reward is a semifinal against Serbia — and there could hardly be a more evocative opponent.
The two nations will meet on Saturday, September 5, at 4:00 PM local time in Istanbul in a repeat of the 2023 European Championship final. Two years ago in Brussels, Türkiye produced a spectacular comeback to defeat Serbia 3-2 and win the first European title in the history of the Turkish women’s national team. Melissa Vargas scored 41 points in that extraordinary final, while Türkiye eventually prevailed 15-13 in the fifth set.
But Serbia also have a more distant memory to draw upon.
In the 2019 European Championship final in Ankara, played in front of more than 13,000 spectators, Serbia defeated hosts Türkiye 3-2 to retain their European crown. That match also went the distance, with Serbia winning the decisive set 15-13.
Now the rivalry returns to Istanbul, but this time the prize is not the trophy itself. It is a place in the final.

The other semifinal will feature Poland against Italy at 7:00 PM local time.
It is another enormous test for Lavarini’s team, who will face the reigning world champions with a place in the European Championship final at stake.
Four teams remain. Two matches separate them from European gold. And with Poland, Italy, Türkiye and Serbia forming the final four, EuroVolley 2026 has delivered exactly the kind of finish a championship deserves: the reigning champions against a familiar rival, and a resurgent Poland facing the world champions.
Istanbul is now ready for the final chapter.