Ukraine edge Italy in Golden Set thriller to claim first CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Title

Ukraine officially crowned themselves champions of the 2026 CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup after an absolute thriller against Italy. With the title on the line, the historic battle came down to a dramatic Golden Set, where the Ukrainian women showed ultimate composure under pressure to close it out 15-12 and claim the crown.

Italy vs. Ukraine 1-2 

Hungry to upgrade the silver medal they claimed in 2025, the Ukrainians made an immediate statement of intent in the opening rubber. Showing superior focus and steel nerves in the high-stakes environment, Valentyna Davidova and Anhelina Khmil weathered an early storm to down Italy's Claudia Scampoli and Giada Bianchi in straight sets, 2-0 (23-21, 21-17), giving Ukraine a dream start to the ultimate battle for gold. 

With everything on the line, the second match turned into an absolute rollercoaster as Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth faced off against Yeva Serdiuk and Daria Romaniuk. The Italians came out firing, storming through the opening set 21-14, but Ukraine weaponised a brutal service game in the second to completely shift the momentum, responding with a 21-16 equaliser. Riding that wave into the tie-break, the Italian duo shone under pressure, capturing it 15-8 to force a dramatic Golden Set for the title.

With the big prize in sight, both nations deployed strategic new pairings for the ultimate decider: Gottardi and Scampoli for Italy against Khmil and Serdiuk for Ukraine. In the high-stakes showdown, the Ukrainians proved more stable when it mattered most, closing out the Golden Set 15-12 to lift the trophy and claim the Nations Cup title for the first time in their history.

Ukraine’s Road to the Gold

Ukraine’s journey began in Pool E of the preliminary phase held in Alanya. Competing in a country-versus-country round-robin format against Belgium, France, and England, the Ukrainian squad was completely unstoppable. They swept through the opening matches in straight sets before shutting down a tough Belgian side 2-0 in the last fixture to top the pool and punch their direct ticket to the Budapest Finals. 

Upon arriving in Budapest, Ukraine was drawn into Pool B for the Main Draw alongside the Netherlands, Slovenia, Hungary. Ukraine took care of business in the pool stage, showing incredible depth to secure first place and advance directly to the semis.  In the semi-finals, Ukraine put on a masterclass in efficiency against a dangerous Slovenian team, taking a clinical 2-0 overall series victory without dropping a single set.