Ukraine women lost to Bulgaria at the start of Euro 2026 and extended their losing streak to seven matches

The Ukrainian women's national volleyball team started their campaign at the 2026 European Championship in Brno, Czech Republic, with a defeat: in the opening group stage match, the "blue and yellows" lost to the Bulgarian team with a score of 0:3 in sets. The match was played in a tense struggle, and the Ukrainians held the initiative for a long time, but failed to turn the advantage into a victory, losing the decisive points in key segments of the sets.

Match scenario in Brno

In the first set, the Ukrainians took a solid six-point lead — 18:13 — but collapsed at the end and allowed the Bulgarians to turn the tide. The second set followed a similar scenario: again, the decisive points were more accurate for the opponents, and the Bulgarians recorded the set in their favor with a score of 25:23. In the third set, the Bulgarian team completely controlled the flow of the game and closed the match in their favor, leaving the Ukrainians no chance to turn things around.

The fifteen-year curse

The defeat in Brno continued a long and painful streak for Ukrainian volleyball players: the "blue and yellows" have not been able to defeat Bulgaria for about 15 years and lost the seventh match in a row to their opponents. The Ukrainian national team last took the upper hand over the Bulgarians during the qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games, after which victory in head-to-head meetings never smiled upon the Ukrainian team.

Chances for the playoffs and schedule

Despite the unsuccessful start, the Ukrainians retain real chances to reach the tournament playoffs, where they successfully qualified in the two previous European Championships. In Group B, in addition to Bulgaria, the opponents of the Ukrainian national team will be the teams of Greece, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Serbia, and it is the results in these matches that will determine the team's further fate in the tournament.

Next match — against Greece

The Ukrainian national team will play its next match at the European Championship on Saturday, August 22, against the Greek team. The match is scheduled to start at 17:00 Kyiv time. For the "blue and yellows," this match will be an important opportunity to break the losing streak and earn points in the fight for a place in the tournament playoffs.