Turkey vs France

The opening set set the tone for the entire match. France, buoyed by their five-set win over Italy just days earlier, started confidently. But Türkiye matched every French rally with disciplined defence and timely kills. The set stayed neck-and-neck deep into the twenties, with neither side able to build a lead larger than two points. At 23–23, Türkiye found two consecutive kills to steal the opener 25–23, sending a clear message that this would not be a routine night for the French.

France responded with more aggression in the second set, knowing they needed to level before the match slipped away. The Olympic champions pushed hard and had set point opportunities, but Türkiye refused to buckle. Adis Lagumdzija, who finished with a match-high 20 points, delivered in the clutch moments, punishing French blocks with powerful strikes from the right side. The set extended past 25 before Türkiye finally closed it out 27–25 — a psychological hammer blow for France, who had dominated the head-to-head in recent years.

With their tails up, Türkiye carried momentum into the third set. France briefly looked rattled, making uncharacteristic errors in reception and attack. Türkiye's blocking unit stepped up, shutting down France's middle attackers and forcing them into difficult angles. A mid-set run of three straight points gave Türkiye a comfortable cushion they never relinquished. Lagumdzija hammered the final kill to seal a 25–21 set win and a historic 3–0 victory.

• Adis Lagumdzija was the star — the Turkish opposite scored 20 points, delivering in every big moment.
• France never led by more than two points in any set, a testament to Türkiye's relentless pressure.
• History made — this was Türkiye's first win over France in VNL competition and only their second win in 10 meetings overall.
• France's vulnerability exposed — after beating Italy 3–2 on Day 1, France have now lost consecutive matches, falling to Canada 3–1 on home soil just a day later.

For Türkiye, this result is a massive confidence boost early in the VNL campaign. Beating a top-five side in straight sets signals that they are more than capable of competing with the world's elite. For France, it serves as an early wake-up call. The Olympic champions have the talent to bounce back, but they will need to tighten their play in pressure moments after dropping tight sets to both Italy (won 3–2) and now Türkiye.

Check out the official VNL match highlights below.