Ukraine Crushes North Macedonia at the 2026 Volleyball European Championship and Tops Group B

The Ukrainian national volleyball team secured its second consecutive victory at the group stage of the 2026 European Championship. In the second-round match, the "blue-and-yellow" side defeated the North Macedonian team without surrendering a single set — the final score was 3:0 in sets. This is already the Ukrainian team's second win at the tournament, following its opening success over Israel, which allowed it to firmly establish itself among the leaders of its group.

A Crushing Win Without Losing a Single Set

Throughout the match, the Ukrainian team largely dictated the play and did not face serious problems in most stretches. The only notable dip was the second set, in which the "blue-and-yellow" side committed unforced errors and allowed the Macedonians to rack up ten points on them. Nevertheless, this episode did not affect the overall picture of the match: the Ukrainian team maintained control of the ball and took the set.

Match Dynamics and Key Moments

The Ukrainians looked especially convincing in the decisive third set, which they won by a margin of fifteen points (+15). Such a commanding lead in the final set underscores the difference in class between the teams on this evening and demonstrates the high attacking efficiency of the Ukrainian national team. The final score of 3:0 in sets marked the team's second "clean" (straight-sets) victory at the group stage of the 2026 European Championship.

Standing in Group B

After two rounds played, the Ukrainian team tops the Group B standings. At the same time, the Bulgarian and Polish teams, according to the schedule, have a match in hand, which means that the final distribution of places in the group is not yet definitive. The minimum goal for the "blue-and-yellow" side at this stage is to finish in the top 4 of the group, which will allow the team to advance to the European Championship play-offs.

Upcoming Opponents and Objectives

The Ukrainian team's next match at the 2026 European Championship will be against Bulgaria on September 12; the match is scheduled to start at 19:00. In addition to the Bulgarians, the Ukrainian team still has matches against Portugal and Poland ahead, which will determine the final ranking in Group B. Thus, the coaching staff's team faces the task not only of maintaining the lead but also of guaranteeing qualification for the play-offs by finishing in the top four at the end of the group stage.