THE EVE EDITION | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Türkiye Repeats as European Champion in Istanbul Thriller
Türkiye is champion of Europe again. Playing in front of 17,299 overwhelmingly partisan fans in Istanbul, Türkiye twice came from a set down and then overwhelmed Olympic and world champion Italy in the deciding fifth set to win 16-25, 25-22, 12-25, 25-21, 15-10. The victory gives Türkiye its second consecutive European championship and, with it, qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Italy initially looked capable of silencing the building. Ekaterina Antropova set the tone with two early aces, and the Italians turned an 11-8 advantage into an 18-9 lead before cruising through the opening set 25-16. The second began similarly, with Italy moving ahead 12-6 before Türkiye finally found some rhythm. The hosts ripped off five straight points to pull within one, later tied the set at 15-15 following a successful challenge and eventually took their first lead of the match at 21-20 after a block. With the crowd suddenly roaring behind every point, Türkiye carried that momentum through the finish and closed the set 25-22 to even the match.
Italy answered emphatically in the third, racing ahead 8-2 and never allowing Türkiye back into the set on the way to a 25-12 rout. Türkiye responded just as quickly in the fourth, storming to a 10-3 lead before Italy methodically began cutting into it. By 17-16, almost the entire Turkish advantage had disappeared, but the hosts steadied themselves. Hande Baladın finished a spectacular rally to extend the lead to 22-18, and Türkiye held on for a 25-21 win to send the European championship to a deciding fifth set.
By then, the momentum and the building belonged to Türkiye. The hosts opened the tiebreak 2-0 and continued pressing even after Zehra Güneş briefly had to leave following a collision with Melissa Vargas. With the score tied 4-4, Türkiye survived an extraordinary extended rally to move back in front and then accelerated from there, taking an 8-4 advantage at the changeover. Italy never recovered. A Turkish block stretched the lead to 12-7 before Vargas made it 13-8 and then struck again for championship point at 14-9. Two points later, Italy’s final serve sailed long, giving Türkiye the 15-10 fifth set, another European championship and an eruption inside Sinan Erdem Sports Hall.
Vargas and Paola Egonu finished tied with a match-high 28 points, but Vargas left Istanbul with both the trophy and tournament MVP honors. Türkiye became the first nation since Serbia in 2011 to win the European championship on home soil and repeated the title it first claimed three years ago in Brussels.
USA Escapes Italy in Lowest-Scoring World Cup Win Since 1984
The United States is through to the quarterfinals, but Italy provided the clearest evidence yet that the defending world champions may be more vulnerable than usual.
The U.S. escaped with a 55-52 victory after being dragged into a defensive battle that remained unsettled until the final possession. The Americans led 30-24 at halftime before their offense stalled badly in the third quarter, missing their first 10 attempts from three before Paige Bueckers finally broke the drought late in the period. Italy continued to pressure the U.S. into the fourth and briefly moved ahead 46-44 before Jackie Young answered.
Breanna Stewart restored the American lead at 51-50 with just over three minutes remaining, Chelsea Gray drew a crucial charge on the next Italian possession and Young followed with a driving layup before Gray stretched the margin to 55-50. Italy still had one final chance to force overtime, but Cecilia Zandalasini’s 3-point attempt missed at the buzzer.
Young finished with a team-high 10 points, while Caitlin Clark was held to one point in 19 minutes on 0-for-6 shooting. The U.S. shot just 29 percent overall and 1-for-12 from three, finishing with its lowest Women’s World Cup scoring total since the three-point line was introduced in 1984.
It was still the United States’ 32nd consecutive World Cup victory, extending a streak that dates to its 2006 semifinal loss to Russia, but no opponent during that run has come closer. Italy took the Americans to the final shot and showed that this version of Team USA can be disrupted in ways recent championship teams rarely were.
Elsewhere, China survived Czechia 74-70 in overtime after erasing a five-point deficit in the closing seconds of regulation, with Han Xu finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Australia remained unbeaten with an 87-71 win over Türkiye, while Belgium improved to 2-0 by beating Puerto Rico 76-64. Australia and Belgium meet Monday with first place in Group C and a direct quarterfinal berth at stake.
US Open | Round of 16 | New York
Aryna Sabalenka continued her push for a third consecutive US Open title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Taylor Townsend, settling after a messy opening stretch and taking control without dropping a set for the fourth straight match.
Linda Nosková had a far more difficult path, surviving Marta Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in one of the best matches of the round. Nosková held match point while serving at 5-4 in the second set before Kostyuk fought back to force a decider, then squandered four more match points in the third before finally closing it out. The reigning Wimbledon champion advances to her first US Open quarterfinal, where she will face Sabalenka.
Jessica Pegula also moved through comfortably, defeating Sorana Cîrstea 6-3, 6-4, while Emma Navarro beat #21 Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-2. Navarro, a semifinalist here in 2024, now meets Pegula in an all-American quarterfinal that guarantees the United States at least one semifinalist from this side of the draw.
The other quarterfinal pairs Sabalenka with Nosková, giving the world No. 1 a considerably tougher test against one of the season’s strongest Grand Slam performers.
Barclays Women’s Super League
Manchester City began its WSL title defense with a 3-1 victory over newly promoted Birmingham City, breaking open a scoreless match almost immediately after halftime.
Mary Fowler put City ahead in the 49th minute with the 1,000th goal in the club’s professional women’s history, and Khadija “Bunny” Shaw doubled the lead six minutes later with a header from Kerstin Casparij’s corner. Shaw added another header from a corner in the 86th minute to complete her brace before Océane Hurtré pulled one back late for Birmingham. After a difficult first half, the defending champions ultimately looked comfortable, while last season’s Golden Boot winner wasted little time getting back among the goals.
Arsenal’s victory was considerably narrower. Nineteen-year-old German newcomer Lisa Baum marked her competitive debut with a superb goal in the 10th minute, surging forward and finishing from a difficult angle to give the Gunners a 1-0 win at Brighton. Arsenal had opportunities to add to the lead after halftime but never found a second, leaving Brighton within striking distance until the end.
Liverpool produced the day’s most emphatic result, spoiling Charlton Athletic’s WSL debut with a 4-0 victory at The Valley. Center back Grace Fisk scored twice, including an eighth-minute opener, before Vivien Endemann added a goal on her Liverpool debut and Cornelia Kapocs converted a stoppage-time penalty.
Tottenham also started strongly with a 3-1 win over West Ham, led by a brace from Kirsty Hanson on her competitive Spurs debut after Signe Gaupset opened the scoring. Crystal Palace marked its return to the WSL with a 1-0 victory over Everton, surviving several late scares after Lexi Lloyd-Smith scored the game’s only goal in the 34th minute.
FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup | Poland
The United States opened its World Cup with a damaging 2-1 loss to Italy, surrendering an early lead and leaving itself under immediate pressure in Group D.
Micayla Johnson put the Americans ahead in the 18th minute after Emeri Adames drove a low ball across goal, but Italy equalized before halftime through Paola Fadda. Giada Pellegrino Cimò completed the comeback in the 59th minute after Caroline Birkel could not control a cross into the six-yard box. The U.S. pushed hard for an equalizer and appeared to find one in stoppage time when Sealey Strawn scored after Kennedy Fuller hit the post, only for VAR to rule Strawn offside by inches.
Italy’s victory came in its first U-20 World Cup appearance in 14 years, while the U.S. now faces a difficult Wednesday matchup with Japan. The 2024 runner-up also opened with a win, beating New Zealand 2-1 behind two goals from substitute Miyu Matsunaga. Elsewhere, France was held to a 1-1 draw by South Korea, while Ecuador beat Ghana 3-0 behind a goal and assist from Rosa Flores and two goals from Doménica Arboleda.
NWSL
Denver Summit delivered one of the biggest results of its expansion season, shutting out league-leading Gotham FC 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd. Yuzuki Yamamoto broke the deadlock early in the second half before Olivia Thomas and Yazmeen Ryan added late goals, snapping Gotham’s club-record 10-match regular-season unbeaten streak and handing the league leaders their first loss since July 4.
North Carolina produced the day’s most dominant performance, crushing Chicago 6-0 behind Ashley Sanchez’s first career NWSL hat trick. Sanchez now leads the Golden Boot race with 18 goals and broke the league’s single-season scoring record for an American player, while she and Evelyn Ijeh have combined for a record 29 goals by a pair of teammates.
Elsewhere, Washington came from behind to beat Portland 2-1 for its first road win over the Thorns in club history, with Mélissa Bethi scoring the 80th-minute winner from a Trinity Rodman cross. Orlando defeated Houston 3-1 as Barbra Banda scored her 14th goal of the season to break the Pride’s single-season club record, while Seattle edged San Diego 1-0 after the Wave were reduced to 10 players early.
NCAA Volleyball (Top 25)
What was supposed to be one of the showcase events of the young college volleyball season instead became a frustrating reminder that indoor volleyball and outdoor baseball stadiums may not be the easiest combination.
A crowd of 43,067 packed Wrigley Field for #1 Nebraska against Missouri, but the highly anticipated match lasted only 18 points before unsafe court conditions brought the night to an early end. Players were struggling to keep their footing almost immediately as humidity left the temporary Taraflex surface slick, and several slipped during the opening points. Play was stopped while players and staff members got down on their hands and knees with towels attempting to dry the court, and after a delay the teams tried again. Nebraska built an 11-7 lead before the surface became problematic once more and play was suspended for a second time. Officials eventually canceled the match altogether.
It was a disappointing ending to an event that looked spectacular in theory. Wrigley provided a memorable backdrop, but even during the earlier match the setup felt somewhat awkward, with most fans in the permanent seating located well away from the court and those on the field positioned much closer to playing level. The overwhelmingly Nebraska-heavy crowd was clearly waiting for the nightcap, only to see the marquee match abandoned before the first set was halfway complete. One positive for the Huskers: the special pinstriped uniforms certainly looked the part in a baseball stadium.
The first half of the Wrigley doubleheader did reach its conclusion, with #3 Kentucky beating #13 Penn State 3-1 behind 21 kills from Brooklyn DeLeye. Elsewhere, #6 Louisville swept #9 Texas for its fourth ranked win through six matches, #18 TCU swept #14 Purdue and #22 Tennessee stayed unbeaten with a straight-set win over #21 Indiana.
#2 Pittsburgh recovered from a 25-15 opening-set loss to beat Utah in four, #23 Colorado survived Northern Colorado in five and #25 Oregon rallied past Washington State in four. #4 Stanford beat Marquette 3-1, while #17 Florida and #15 USC both earned sweeps.
Frauen-Bundesliga
Wolfsburg produced a remarkable late escape against Werder Bremen, scoring twice in the final minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory. Bremen led through Luna Vanzeir and, after Mara Alber equalized, went back in front through Elena Dhont in the 64th minute. Camilla Küver finally pulled Wolfsburg level in the 88th, then struck again in the fourth minute of stoppage time to complete the comeback just days after Wolfsburg’s painful Champions League elimination to Inter Milan.
Bayern Munich had a much smoother afternoon, beating Freiburg 4-1 to extend its Bundesliga unbeaten run to a league-record 45 matches. Momoko Tanikawa scored twice, including a spectacular opener from just behind midfield, while Vanessa Gilles and Klara Bühl added the other goals as Bayern improved to 3-0.
Newly promoted Stuttgart also remained unbeaten, rescuing a 3-3 draw at Nürnberg when Nicole Billa scored her second goal of the match in the 90th minute.
NCAA Women’s Soccer (Top 20)
Brown delivered the biggest shock of Sunday’s ranked slate, dismantling #13 UCF 7-0 in Providence and handing the previously unbeaten Knights their first loss. The Bears scored after only 90 seconds, led 4-0 by halftime and never let up, with Corine Gregory finishing with two goals and an assist.
#5 Wake Forest also stayed perfect, beating #21 Florida 2-1 behind Sierra Sythe’s first career brace, while #1 Stanford rolled past Santa Clara 4-0 as Jaden Thomas recorded her first career hat trick and assisted the other goal.
Elsewhere, #15 Florida State drew Rice 1-1, #9 North Carolina edged Arizona State 1-0, #10 Tennessee beat Northwestern 1-0 and #7 West Virginia stayed perfect with a 1-0 win over Marshall. #8 Ohio State beat #23 Memphis 3-1, Texas upset #19 TCU 1-0, #16 Wisconsin beat Central Michigan 6-2, #20 South Carolina defeated College of Charleston 6-1, #3 Vanderbilt improved to 7-0 with a 4-1 win over Xavier, and #12 Virginia drew Georgetown 0-0.
NCAA Field Hockey (Top 10)
#13 Maryland stayed unbeaten with a 3-2 shootout victory over #6 Duke, winning the shootout 3-1, while #10 North Carolina knocked off #2 Princeton 1-0 after the teams went scoreless through regulation and overtime before the Tar Heels took the shootout 3-2.
Elsewhere, Ohio State upset #5 Virginia 2-1, #3 Harvard beat #9 UConn 1-0 and #1 Northwestern stayed perfect with a 2-0 win at Boston College. #7 Wake Forest routed Ohio 6-1, #4 Iowa crushed Ball State 8-0 and #8 Michigan beat Vermont 4-1.
Northern Super League
Montréal Roses strengthened their hold on first place with a 3-2 win over second-place Ottawa Rapid FC. Montréal led 2-0 early before Ottawa fought back to equalize, but Noémi Paquin scored the winner in the 87th minute to give the Roses a four-point cushion atop the standings.
Liga MX Femenil
Tigres UANL stayed perfect with a 3-0 win over Santos Laguna, improving to 6-0 behind goals from Maricarmen Reyes, María Sánchez and Alison González. Cruz Azul also won on the road, beating Querétaro 2-0 with both goals coming in the final 10 minutes.
FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Final | Shanghai
France defeated Rapid Bucharest 22-14 to win the season-ending Women’s Series Final in Shanghai, with Laetitia Guapo earning MVP honors. It was France’s first Series stop victory of 2026 and its third overall Women’s Series championship.
WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event
Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab defeated Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley after a costly miscommunication between Flair and Paxley. The pair collided during a botched double Figure 8 attempt, allowing Cargill to capitalize with Jaded and pin Flair for the win.
US Open Fourth Round Builds to Gauff-Jovic Under the Lights
The women’s draw finishes the fourth round Monday with four matches that each carry a different kind of intrigue, beginning with one of the tournament’s hottest upset threats and ending under the lights with two Americans at very different stages of their rise.
#24 Anastasia Potapova opens against #5 Mirra Andreeva after producing one of the biggest results of the third round, knocking out Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-5. Potapova has already beaten Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff this season and is into the US Open fourth round for the first time, but Andreeva presents another major test. The reigning Roland Garros champion has yet to drop a set in New York and has looked increasingly comfortable as the tournament has progressed.
Iga Świątek then faces perhaps the most dangerous unseeded player left in the draw. Zheng Qinwen arrived in New York after elbow surgery and had to come through qualifying, but her level has risen quickly. She recovered from a 6-1 opening-set loss against Madison Keys, saved match point and ultimately won 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 to reach the fourth round. Now she gets #8 Świątek with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.
The afternoon’s biggest heavyweight matchup may be #2 Elena Rybakina against #13 Naomi Osaka. Rybakina has not dropped a set through three rounds and remains one of the tournament favorites, while Osaka has already been pushed to three sets twice. Their only previous meeting came less than a month ago, when Osaka won the opening set before Rybakina escaped in three. Monday gives Osaka another opportunity against one of the most powerful players in the draw.
Then Arthur Ashe belongs to the Americans. #4 Coco Gauff meets #14 Iva Jovic in the night session, a matchup that somehow makes the 22-year-old Gauff feel like the veteran. Gauff arrives unbeaten in sets and remains one of the favorites to win the tournament, while 18-year-old Jovic continues a season that has rapidly established her as one of the brightest young players in the sport. She survived a high-level three-set battle with Alexandra Eala to reach the US Open fourth round for the first time and now gets the biggest stage of her young career against one of the faces of American tennis.
FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup | Berlin, Germany
The United States has already secured first place in Group D and a direct trip to the quarterfinals, but Monday’s finale against Czechia suddenly feels less like a formality and more like an opportunity to reset.
Sunday’s 55-52 escape against Italy was about as ugly as a U.S. victory can get. The Americans shot just 29 percent, went 1-for-12 from three and needed the final possession to survive in their lowest-scoring World Cup game since the three-point line was introduced in 1984. Czechia is already eliminated at 0-2, so the standings pressure is gone. The larger question is whether the U.S. can rediscover the offensive rhythm it showed in its opening rout of China before the knockout stage begins.
Elsewhere, Belgium and Australia meet in a matchup of unbeaten teams with first place in Group C and a direct quarterfinal berth on the line. Group A is even more chaotic: Spain, Japan, Germany and Mali all enter the final day at 1-1, meaning both Japan-Spain and Germany-Mali will help determine everything from the group winner to the team eliminated.
Italy and China close the day alongside the U.S., with both already assured of advancing but still playing for second place in Group D and positioning in the qualification round.
FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup | Poland
Spain begins its attempt to reclaim the U-20 world championship Monday with one of the more interesting opening matches of the group stage against Nigeria. The 2022 champion was eliminated by Japan in the quarterfinals two years ago, but returns with another deep group of prospects from clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club. Nigeria, meanwhile, has appeared in every edition of the tournament and should provide Spain with an immediate indication of where it stands in Group F.
The other major name making its tournament debut Monday is defending champion Korea DPR, which opens against first-time qualifier Portugal. Korea DPR won the 2024 title and begins its defense against one of six nations appearing at the U-20 World Cup for the first time.
New Caledonia also makes history with its first appearance at any FIFA women’s global tournament when it faces China, while Colombia opens against Costa Rica.
ISA World Junior Surfing Championship | El Salvador
The world’s top junior surfers continue championship competition Monday at La Bocana and El Sunzal, with EVE following the Girls U16 and U18 divisions. Three-time world junior medalist Clémence Schorsch of France and 2025 U16 silver medalist Catalina Zariquiey of Peru were among the early U18 standouts Sunday, while Hawaii’s Skai Suitt posted the highest single-wave score of the day with a 9.00. The championship brings together 56 national teams and has long served as a pipeline to the sport’s highest level, with 62 of the 71 surfers who have competed at the Olympics having previously appeared at the World Juniors.
Frauen-Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt closes the Bundesliga weekend Monday with a road trip to Union Berlin. Frankfurt enters as the more established contender, while Union gets an early opportunity to test itself against one of Germany’s stronger sides. With Bayern and Wolfsburg both winning Sunday, Frankfurt will want to avoid giving up ground immediately in the early title race.
Liga F
Granada and Real Sociedad close the second round of Liga F with both clubs looking for their first points of the season. Real Sociedad enters as the more established side, but both are trying to rebound from opening-week losses.
Liga MX Femenil | Jornada 6
FC Juárez enters Monday sitting eighth with nine points and can strengthen its early playoff position against an Atlante side that has taken only three points through five matches. Later, León and Puebla meet with both clubs needing a result after slow starts, with León beginning the round on six points and Puebla on three.
NCAA Volleyball
#13 Penn State and #21 Indiana both get quick turnaround opportunities Monday after ranked losses Sunday. Penn State travels to DePaul after falling to #3 Kentucky at Wrigley Field, while Indiana heads to Southern Indiana looking to rebound from a straight-set loss to #22 Tennessee.
WWE Raw | Birmingham, Alabama
Liv Morgan defends the Women’s World Championship against Stephanie Vaquer in Monday night’s featured women’s match, giving Vaquer another major opportunity after weeks of tension around the title picture. Morgan enters as champion, but Vaquer has increasingly been positioned as one of Raw’s most dangerous challengers. A clean finish may be asking a lot, however, with Judgment Day rarely far from Morgan and plenty of opportunity for outside interference or a disqualification.
Additional women’s matches and appearances likely.
PINK HOUR
#5 Mirra Andreeva vs #24 Anastasia Potapova
11:00 AM · ESPN / ESPN Unlimited
#2 Elena Rybakina vs #13 Naomi Osaka
2:30 PM · ESPN / ESPN Unlimited
United States vs Czechia
2:45 PM · TNT / truTV / HBO Max
#4 Coco Gauff vs #14 Iva Jovic
7:00 PM · ESPN2 / ESPN Unlimited
Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs Stephanie Vaquer
8:00 PM · Netflix