At the 2026 European Volleyball Championship, the Ukraine women's national team claimed its first victory, defeating one of the main underdogs in its group. After two opening losses, the "blue-and-yellow" side finally broke their losing streak and returned to the race for a playoff spot in the tournament.
Late start: how the first two sets unfolded
The Ukrainians struggled to get off the mark in the first and second sets, but each time they picked up the pace and ultimately routed their opponents. In the first set, after losing four rallies in a row to fall behind 1:4, the team still managed to take the set with a 10-point advantage. In the second set, the "blue-and-yellow" side truly switched on at 15:14 and gave away just two rallies in the closing phase.
Third set — a clear display of dominance
The third set was a textbook example of the superiority of the team led by head coach Jakub Glushak. It was in this set that the Ukrainians fully controlled the game and sealed the national team's first win at the 2026 European Championship.
The fight for the playoffs: Czechia and Serbia ahead
Next, the Ukrainian team faces matches against the group's main favorites — the national teams of Czechia and Serbia. In these encounters on August 25 and 27, our volleyball players need to win and hope for favorable results in the other matches of Group B to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Standings and schedule
At this point, the "blue-and-yellow" side sits in fourth place, which earns a playoff berth, ahead of the national teams of Bulgaria and Austria. An additional factor could be a possible loss by the Bulgarians in their remaining matches: on August 24 at 21:00, Bulgaria will play Serbia. It was previously reported that in a tough five-set match, the Ukrainians lost to Greece.
