World runner-up U17 Girls' National Volleyball Team returns home with medals

The Turkey U17 Girls' National Volleyball Team, which won the silver medal at the 2026 FIVB U17 Girls' World Championship held in Chile, has returned home. The national team was welcomed with flowers at Istanbul Airport by federation officials and their families.

The crescent-and-star team, which was defeated 3-0 by the USA in the final played in Chile's capital, Santiago, finished the tournament as world runners-up. The athletes and technical staff, who arrived in Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, landed at Istanbul Airport at 10:15.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, U17 Girls' National Volleyball Team Head Coach Özer Özger said they were proud to return to the country with medals. Özger stated, "We are very happy to have returned to our country with a medal and to have made everyone happy. It was a result we were all expecting because we had prepared for this. Of course, we wanted to win in the final; we played against a very strong opponent."

Drawing attention to the level volleyball has reached in Turkey, Özger said, "We are all very happy to have returned with a medal and to have shown everyone how volleyball has developed in our country, especially with this success following the achievements of our Senior National Team."

Stating that his players performed at a high level in the tournament, Özger noted that they had anticipated being able to contribute players to the Dream Team, but the athletes' performance on the court exceeded their expectations. The head coach also thanked Turkish Volleyball Federation President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ for his support.

Team captain Ecrin Selis Türkyaşar stated that achieving a world runner-up title at this age meant a great deal to them. Türkyaşar said, "It was a very exciting tournament. Achieving this success at this age and representing our country in this way made us very happy. We would have liked to return with the trophy, but I think what we achieved is a great success."

Expressing that the successes of the Senior Women's National Volleyball Team guide them, Türkyaşar added, "It makes us very happy to walk the path our older sisters have paved for us." Ersin Yılmaz from the TVF Board of Directors also emphasized that they want the success in youth categories to be sustainable, stating, "Turkish volleyball is in safe hands, no one should worry."

News Source : 12punto