Turkey, Brazil Advance to Women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals

Turkey ended China’s hopes of springing a surprise and Brazil dethroned defending champions Italy in a five-set thriller as the Women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals neared a conclusion in Macau on Saturday. Fresh from upsetting top seeds the United States in the quarter-finals, the hosts had harboured hopes of battling for gold for the first time in three years, but were ultimately no match for a side that has beaten them several times on the big occasion. Turkey swept China aside in straight sets, winning 3-0 in the second of the evening’s semi-finals at the East Asian Games Dome. Melissa Vargas was on fire on the court, powering her team to an emphatic 25-21, 25-15, 25-20 victory in front of a 5,000-strong crowd. "It was a very important victory for Turkey that took us to the final. Against a big Chinese team, we fought for every point," Vargas said. "I expect a very tense game and a point-for-point fight against Brazil tomorrow." China made fewer unforced errors than Turkey, but outside hitter Zhuang Yushan, with 15 points, was their only player to reach double digits.