Match Preview
These two sides also met in last season’s Volleyball Nations League, with Slovenia claiming a 3-0 victory. Turkey have been in outstanding form this year, though, and I expect a much stronger showing from the Crescent Stars in Belgrade.
Turkey One Win Away
Turkey are just one victory away from securing a place in the Nations League 2026 final tournament, entering Round 11 with a 7-3 record.
Their Week 2 results were impressive, beginning with a 3-0 victory over struggling China before suffering a dramatic 3-2 defeat to reigning champions Poland after narrowly forcing a tiebreak, which they lost 15-11.
The Crescent Stars responded immediately by recovering from a two-set deficit to beat Argentina 3-2 before cruising past Belgium 3-0.
Turkey have carried that momentum into Week 3, opening with a commanding 3-0 victory over Serbia before edging Ukraine 3-2 yesterday.
Slovenia Already Through
Slovenia have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the VNL 2026, collecting eight wins from ten matches and already booking their place in the final tournament in China.
The Slovenians enjoyed an excellent Week 2 on home soil, defeating Canada (3-1), Bulgaria (3-2) and Brazil (3-0), with their only defeat coming against Italy (3-1).
Slovenia also made a strong start to Week 3 by beating Germany 3-1 on Wednesday before following it up with a commanding 3-0 victory over Iran yesterday to officially seal qualification.