---
title: "Ukrainian volleyball players challenge world giants: debut in the VNL"
description: "The Ukrainian women's national volleyball team debuts in the VNL! 🏐 The first stage starts from June 3 to 7 in Quebec. Find out who our girls will play against, which matches will be key, and where to watch the online broadcasts 🇺🇦👇"
date: 2026-06-03T10:10:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-womens-volleyball-team-debuts-in-the-vnl
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrainian volleyball players challenge world giants: debut in the VNL

![Ukrainian volleyball players celebrate victory in the Nations League, showcasing team spirit and unity](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/03/zhsenskaya-sbornaya-ukrainy-po-voleybolu-debyutiрует-v-lige-natsii/zhsenskaya-sbornaya-ukrainy-po-voleybolu-debyutiрует-v-lige-natsii-1.webp)

On June 3, the Ukrainian women's national volleyball team will take a historic step by debuting in the most prestigious commercial tournament on the planet — the Volleyball Nations League (VNL). This high-profile start is the natural result of the team's successful performance in the previous season, when the Ukrainians earned their place in the elite division by winning the CEV Women's European Golden League.

### A new level of resistance

Under the guidance of Polish specialist Jakub Głuszak, the team heads into a tournament featuring the 18 strongest national teams in the world. The level of competition here is radically different from previous tournaments, and the Ukrainian players will have to prove their competitiveness against recognized giants of world volleyball.

The main and pragmatic goal for this debut season is to secure their spot in the tournament for the following year. The competition format is ruthless: all 18 teams play 12 matches, and only the top 8 advance to the playoffs. The lowest-ranked team after the preliminary stage is eliminated. Statistics show that securing 2-3 victories is usually enough to maintain a place in the elite.

### Analysis of opponents and the schedule

Although there are no weak teams in the VNL, the schedule assigned to the Ukrainian team can be described as relatively favorable. Experts highlight several fundamentally difficult opponents that might be too tough for the tournament newcomers:

    - **Italy:** the current leader, unbeaten in official matches since 2024.

    - **Poland, Japan, USA, and China:** powerful teams with extensive experience competing at the highest level.

The remaining opponents are close in level to the "blue and yellows." This was confirmed by friendly matches held before the start of the season. The Ukrainian team played against the national teams of the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Although a convincing victory was achieved only against the French, all matches played with the full-strength lineup were extremely competitive.

Experts have identified key matches where victory is mandatory to achieve the tournament goal. This list includes the national teams of Thailand, Bulgaria, and France.

### Tournament start and broadcasts

The first week of the women's tournament will take place from June 3 to 7. The matches will be held in the Canadian city of Quebec. For fans in Ukraine, the exclusive broadcaster of the VNL is "Suspilne Sport".

You can follow the successes of the national team live on the "Suspilne Sport" TV channel, local "Suspilne" channels, as well as on the "Suspilne Sport" and "Suspilne Volleyball" YouTube channels. Broadcasts will also be available on the broadcaster's official website.