All matches at the event, which offers the winning team a place at Rio 2016, are being held at the Başkent Volleyball Hall and the crowd in the venue were treated to a thrilling match between the Polish and Russian teams.

Russia appeared at the last five Olympic Games but their pursuit for a six straight tournament looked like getting off to the worst possible start after Poland secure the opening two sets 25-19, 25-18 to take control of the tie.

The tide seemed to have turned at the start of the third set as Russia opened up a five points lead, but they soon found themselves tied at 20-all and on the cusp of suffering an early defeat.

Impressive work from Tatiana Kosheleva, though, helped her team to eventually take the set 25-22.

The Russians maintained the momentum to win the fourth in convincing style by 25-14 to force a decider.

Having seen a two set advantage slip away, Poland always faced a tough task to address the slide and they proved unable to raise their game again, as the Russians took the decider 15-10.

“We are not playing well at all in the beginning of the match,”Kosheleva, who top scored for Russia, said. 

“But we are big girls are able to come together and rise as a team, I am glad that the team shows what it takes to win at the right time.

“We began to serve better and gradually straightened our game, we won as a team, and I am pleased that everybody lifted together.”

Russia will hope for back-to-back wins as they meet Italy on the second day of the tournament.

Poland’s hopes of progression to the knock-out phase, meanwhile, could be over if they lose to Belgium.

Hosts Turkey will also go in search of a second victory after they brushed aside Croatia in Pool A at the start of a campaign where they will be bidding for a second successive appearance at the Olympics. 

The Turkish team won this event four-years ago in Ankara to reach London 2012 and look well equipped to repeat that feat.

They impressed in the early stages of the tie against Croatia to win the first set 25-18.

Their opponents rallied briefly in the second but the home team took the set 25-22, the blow killing off Croatian hopes as Turkey wrapped up the win, sealing the third 25-17.

Tomorrow's tie will prove to be a clash between the top two as Germany overcame The Netherlands in another thrilling contest with a tie-break needed to separate the two teams.

The German team held their nerve to emerge 26-28, 25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11 winners.

It leaves the Dutch facing a crucial tie against Croatia on Wednesday (January 6), with the losers set to be eliminated.

Serbia are not taking part in Ankara having already booked their Rio 2016 spot at last year's Women's World Cup. 

Berlin is currently gearing up to host the men's Olympic qualifier, which is due to take start tomorrow and conclude next Sunday (January 10).

The organisers claim more than 25,000 tickets have been sold to date for the matches at Max-Schemling-Halle in the German capital. 

Germany are scheduled to meet Belgium in their opening Pool A match on the first day of competition.

Fellow pool opponents Poland and Serbia play each other. 

Pool B's first match will see Finland take on Russia, with Bulgaria and France due to play on Wednesday.