The Ukrainian men's national volleyball team secured their debut victory in the new season of the elite Nations League 2026. In the second round, the team coached by Raul Losano defeated the hosts, the Chinese national team, in four sets.
From defeat to triumph
Following a bitter opening loss to the powerful Japanese national team (0:3), the Ukrainians took to the court against China with maximum focus. Already in the first set, the "blue and yellows" completely dominated, crushing the opponent with a score of 25:17 and securing their first won set in the current tournament.
Despite a loss of concentration in the second set (21:25), the Ukrainian volleyball players quickly regained the initiative. The following two sets were dictated by our team — 25:20 and 25:22.
Match hero and opponents' reaction
The main hero of the match was Dmytro Yanchuk, who brought Ukraine 18 points (13 in attack, 1 block, and 4 aces). This triumph earned Ukraine their first 3 points and lifted the team to 7th place in the standings.
After the match, the head coach of the Chinese national team, Vital Heynen, frankly admitted the strength of our team: "The match against Slovenia was a tough battle, but if we apply that to the match against Ukraine — they were the best team. In the first match, we had chances to win; in the second, we didn't," summarized the disappointed coach of the Chinese team.
Plan for the coming week
The next match in China for the "blue and yellows" will take place on Friday, June 12, at 11:30 Kyiv time against the strong Cuban team, and on June 14 they will play against Poland. For the Ukrainian men's national team, this is only the second season in history in the prestigious Nations League.
Meanwhile, on the world stage, the Ukrainian women's national team, led by Jakub Głuszak, is competing and currently occupies the 15th spot in the world rankings after four rounds.