Warsaw, July 25 -- Japan secured a place in the semifinals of the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) after edging past Turkiye 3-2 (25-21, 16-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9) in a thrilling quarterfinal on Thursday in Lodz, Poland.
Japan captain Mayu Ishikawa led her team with 19 points, including 17 kills and two aces. Opposite Yukiko Wada and outside hitter Yoshino Sato each added 15 points. For Turkiye, opposite Melissa Vargas posted a match-high 22 points, while outside hitter Yaprak Erkek contributed 17.
Japan, the 2024 VNL silver medalist, took the opening set 25-21. The Turkish side responded with a dominant second set, powered by Erkek's nine points, to level the match with a 25-16 win.
Guided by Turkish head coach Ferh...