Embarking on its Women's European Volleyball Championship campaign with a young and promising squad, Turkey will seek a way out of a tough group that consists of defending champion Italy, Germany and France in the tournament that starts Friday. The 'Sultans' will also try to erase bad memories of the men’s team’s failure earlier this month in the Euro Cup.



STAR: Turkey's biggest volleyball star Neslihan Darnel will be a key to the team's success. Hürriyet photo


A young Turkish squad will look for a respectable showing at the Women's European Volleyball Championship, which begins Friday.

Turkey is set to face Italy, France and Germany in the tough Group B of the tournament in Poland.

Italy is definitely the favorite to win the group. The defending European champion is one of the most successful teams of the last decade and will seek to continue its successful run.

Alongside its gold medal at EuroVolley 2007, the Italians clinched the World Championship in 2002 and the World Cup in 2007.

Topping Italy, which is fifth in the FIVB global rankings, may not be a realistic projection, but Turkey will try to match Germany and France.

Although it has never been a powerhouse in world volleyball, Germany made it clear that it has potential to pull off strong results in tournaments, as seen in its bronze medal success in 2003 and sixth place finish in 2007.

An important advantage that Germany may have over Turkey is the team’s coach, Giovanni Giudetti. The Italian coach worked with the Aroma Volleyball League team Vakıfbank GüneÅŸ Sigorta last season and is sure to have deep knowledge of the Turkish team.

Germany is ranked 15th in the FIVB rankings.

France looks like the weakest team in the pack, as its eighth-place finish at EuroVolley 2009 was its all-time high point.

Turkey beat 35th-ranked France in its last five meetings, so the “Sultans,” as the Turkish media likes to call them, have every reason to be hopeful before the clash.

But surely it will not only be the strengths of the opponents but whether the young Turkish squad can live up to its potential that will decide its fate at EuroVolley 2009.

Turkey starts the European Volleyball Championship against France on Friday. A tough test against Italy will take place on Saturday and then the Sultans will meet Germany on Sunday, the final day of the preliminary round.

The top three teams of each of the four groups will advance to the playoff round, which will be played in two groups starting next week. The top two teams from each will then meet at the semifinals on Oct. 3.

Making her predictions for the NTV Spor Web site, former Turkish international player Burcu Hakyemez wrote that the team has its weaknesses, especially in defense.

“Our middle blockers are too slow against good teams – that is our weakest link,” Hakyemez stated, adding that Turkey has its advantages as well.

“If we serve well and start the games on a high, we may have the chance to win,” wrote Hakyemez. “The priority will be battling, battling and battling again.”

“Turkey may be more successful than anyone expects if our girls believe,” she added.

Italian coach Alessandro Chiappini’s biggest helper on the court will be Neslihan Darnel. Arguably the most successful player in Turkish women’s volleyball history, the opposite hitter was a part of Turkish volleyball’s finest hour, which was the silver medal in the 2003 European championship.

Darnel returned from Spain’s Tenerife to Vakıfbank GüneÅŸ Sigorta last year and will be the team’s main scoring option. Setter Pelin Çelik and outside hitters Neriman Özsoy and Esra GümüÅŸ will be the other key players in Turkey’s Euro campaign.

It should be noted that all 12 players in the Turkish squad are under 27, marking one of the youngest teams of the tournament.

Two weeks ago, Turkey men’s volleyball team failed to make an impact at the European Volleyball Championship, missing the chance to capitalize on its host-country status, and ending the tournament in the 13th spot.

The tournament comes just five days after the end of another high-profile sports event in Poland, the European Basketball Championship