Japan vs Turkiye | Women's OQT 2023

Against these much taller Turkish blockers. First point on the board, Japan. Nice switch and an absolute stuff wipeout. Well, well, well. That is money in the bank as Melissa Vargas comes striking, driving through. And Serena Koga one-on-one says hey. But it will serve. She's a sneaky server. Kara Kurt will pick that up. Vargas will just crush it. I mean, defensively they did nothing wrong here, Japan. You just can't stop that. There's nothing you can do. And Turkey are trailing early here in set one. Oh, what an angle. Oh. Oh, my goodness. Serena Koga has threaded the needle on this one. We're going to have to see this again to believe it. I mean, this is an impossible angle that she's hit that at. Absolutely future at just 23 years old. So Japan maintaining this lead here, 10-5. Here comes Kara Kurt. Fukudome sends that back over. Falls kindly. Vargas, though, says uh-uh. Well, this is the thing. Oh, remember, they've not yet lost a set. That's going to come over to Handa Baladin. And her cross-court was too good even for that Japan back row. Pass was perfect from Baladin, it has to be said. As Bai able to just set her up for the put away of nine aces. Looking for number 10. Not getting it there. Fukudome has picked it up beautifully. That's gone off the high hand. So Vargas will pick that up. Nice creative bit of setting from Urs Bai. We'll have to do a bit more creative setting. Goes backside. Still no way through. So she'll send it backside again to Baladin. Fukudome gets a piece of that. Now they'll transition stunningly. That point right there. Can she conjure up another? Fukudome has done better. And beautifully set. Beautifully set by Nanami Seki. Under pressure. Watanabe coming in. As you play with a big serve. On the slide. Watanabe's got, excuse me, Fukudome's got underneath that as well. Tough take from three meters out. But Urs Bai is at full stretch now. Baladin with a lovely put away. I tell you, Handa Baladin's bringing her A game today. That's a winner all the way, isn't it, for Ada Erdem. But Fukudome says, no, it isn't. Nice pick up from Baladin. Vargas into the block. Well, well, well. Watanabe on serve. Japan with a slender lead here. Baladin unloads an absolute gem of a cross court. Oh. I tell you, she's seen this floor. Really nice pass. Good containing block though. Again from Japan. Talking about containing. Zeregunes saying, that's enough of all that. Right alongside Handa Baladin there. Japan still front running here in set two. Baladin with the pick up. Karakurt looking to go into the block. Watanabe says, uh-uh. Japan out blocking Turkey at the four to two in blocks. Japan's way. I don't care who you are. You are not defending that. Melissa Vargas. Look at the height she's taking it at. Look at the speed she's hitting it at. Lovely set. Nothing doing though. That's still brilliantly kept alive. He wants a challenge here, Santorelli. And he's not getting it. It's all going to be academic anyway. Baladin puts it away. And the European Championship. Looking to crown this incredible summer of theirs with a qualification for Paris. It's still very much in play. But right now they are having their work cut out against this brilliant Japanese squad. Who find another winner off that back set. Watanabe again. I think we can safely forget about that miscommunication between Seki and Watanabe from a moment earlier. They're back in the player. Will serve. Not the best of takes from Nishimura this time. And that's a tough place to get a winner from. Nothing doing there for Koga. And right back at him comes Ada Erdem. And suddenly Turkey are on the charge. They've pulled to within a point. Running. Aydin staying on serve. Picked up by Nishimura. It's a better pass this time. Koga can't get past Akos with the cross court. Shaheen sends that up. And that is dispatched by Handa Baladin. Well the switch up to get a lot of these. Turkey are 2-1 to the good. Some pass that. Some pass. Yeah, nothing wrong with the Koga cross court. But what about that pass from Inami? Baladin's pass is a good one. Baladin can swing at this and send it down the line. Beautifully again. I tell you she's hitting some shots today. Really is. Just taking that on. No margin for error there. Japan feeling the strain now. Trailing. And starting to run into what Turkey do so well. Ede Erdem sending that back. With Vargas right alongside her. And it's Vargas who gets the touch. Either way it's a block point Turkey. And that offer. Too good. Too good from Ozbay. That's not a trick you can play too often. And really against Japan as well. Japan clawing it back to within three. Making it within two. Vargas is blocked out of it. And Irimi Yabe coming off the bench as well. Had to adjust. Baladin can't get a winner. And they can't get a winner there either again. Terrific defensive work from Japan. Now it's the block coming in back the other way. Has to be shunted back over. Here go Turkey in transition. Nothing doing. Just a deep push. That's really clever from Shaheen. But it doesn't work. Nor does that as Arkos picks it up. And now Aydin runs it. Baladin runs into the block. And this is just brilliant. Now they are level. I mean it's stunning. Stunning play. This from Japan. Can you believe that's Nanami Seiki? All oneself. Japan serving. For set point here. Baladin with a lovely pick up. It'll go over to Vargas who runs straight into the block. Oh. Incredible work. Absolutely incredible. Ishikawa's there. And Ishikawa going way beyond 24. It's not a good take. This is a tough take. Picked up by Arkos. Some creative setting there. And a lovely finish as well. Oh. Turkey right back in business. Just keep it mixed up. Keep it fresh. And get Vargas off that end line. Well, they're going to have to wait. They're going to have to wait. Because Aida Erdem has sent that deep where nobody was home. And it's these Vargas serves are just creating mayhem on the other side of the net. A thing of beauty. Oh. That was a thing of beauty as well. Off the set from Tamaki Matsui. Serena Koga just went for the little dink. This has got to be a clever little dink. And it's not going to work. And Vargas will attack this. And that's just a super angle. Oh. For a right-handed hitter as well. This wasn't the easiest of takes. I mean, that's easy to get this one wrong. It's coming back over, is it? Oh, no. Osbaugh has done brilliantly. Absolutely brilliantly. And Vargas is still at the end line. Things could get an awful lot worse here for Japan. Overpass. Just unplayable when she gets going. Koga with the overpass. This is all about the quality of the serve. I mean, how Koga got anything on that at all. It'll be some encouragement for Japan. They've certainly been more competitive in this match. As a block comes in as well. And there. A flash of defiance right at the end. Coming in from Japan. Watanabe. I think that's her fourth block of this match. She took a ticket. To the Paris Olympics. For Turkey. And that'll do it. Gunes sends it back. And this one is all over. And it's celebration time. For Turkey. Three ambitions.