Anthouli stars as Greece edge Ukraine, Czechia earn second home win

The second day of Pool B action at CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women may feature only two matches, but the fans in Brno were treated to a true volleyball thriller. Greece produced a stunning comeback against Ukraine in a dramatic five-set battle, with unstoppable Martha Anthouli leading the way with 28 points to secure a 3-2 victory. Hosts Czechia then made it two wins from two, defeating Austria in straight sets in front of their home crowd and continueing their perfect start.

Ukraine v Greece 2-3 (23-25, 25-23, 25-12, 22-25, 10-15)

Ukraine and Greece both entered their second Pool B match eager to bounce back after opening-day defeats, with Ukraine particularly determined to respond after their unexpected straight-set loss to Bulgaria. The set started with a tight point-by-point battle, but Greece soon gained momentum through their strong serving. Martha Anthouli opened with an ace (6 points in the set), while Markella Papageorgiou added 2 aces during a strong serving run that helped Greece move to 7-5 and then extend their advantage to 12-7. Greece kept control at 16-7, but Ukraine fought back, led by captain Svitlana Dorsman (6 points, including 2 blocks) and Anna Artyshuk (5), to reduce the gap to 18-16. Greece responded with a three-point run to restore a 21-16 lead, but Ukraine kept fighting and came within one at 24-23 after an ace from Artyshuk. Tikmanidou then closed the set 25-23 for Greece.

The second set was an extremely tight affair, with neither side able to build a two-point advantage until Valeria Nudha served an ace to put Ukraine 12-10 ahead. Greece responded immediately, winning six points in a row with Martha Anthouli putting pressure on Ukraine from the service line to move her team 16-12 ahead. Ukraine refused to give up, with an ace from Oleksandra Milienko (6 points in the set) helping them reduce the gap to 18-17. Greece restored their lead at 23-21, but Ukraine produced an incredible comeback, winning five points in a row. Substitute Viktoriia Danchak proved to be an ace up coach Jakub Głuszak’s sleeve, scoring twice in the decisive stage, including the set-winning point at 25-23.

Boosted by their dramatic comeback in the previous set, Ukraine were unstoppable in the third, delivering an excellent performance and reaching 65% team success in attack. Oleksandra Milienko and Svitlana Dorsman both attacked at 71% efficiency, while Viktoriia Danchak added 50%, with all three contributing five points each as Ukraine raced to a convincing 25-12 win.

But the game was far from over, with Greece refusing to surrender. Powered by Martha Anthouli, who scored 7 points in the set, they raced to a 12-7 lead and continued to build their advantage, reaching 18-9. Ukraine, however, once again showed their fighting spirit, mounting another comeback and cutting the gap from 20-13 to 20-17 with Milienko on serve and Danchak (8 points) playing a key role. This time, though, Greece did not let their lead slip away, closing the set 25-22 after a decisive spike from Anthouli.

The tie-break began as a real battle of nerves, but Greece could once again rely on their scoring machine, Martha Anthouli, who was unstoppable in the decider. After taking an 8-6 lead, the Greeks firmly built their advantage, fighting for every ball as if it were the last. Anthouli added nine points, including seven kills at 70% success, as Greece held their nerve to prevail 15-10.

Anthouli topped the scoring charts with 28 points, including 24 kills at 41% success, two blocks and two aces. For Ukraine, Viktoriia Danchak, who came off the bench in the second set, finished with 18 points.

Austria vs Czechia 0-3 (16-25, 17-25, 17-25)

The hosts also decided to add some drama to their match, making a slow start that Austria quickly took advantage of to race to a 6-2 lead. It proved to be a wake-up call for Czechia, who immediately responded with five consecutive points to turn the score around at 7-6 and then firmly take control, building a 16-9 advantage with the home crowd behind them. Austria tried to fight back, led by Kora Schaberl (7 points in the set) and Aida Korman-Mehic (5), but the hosts remained composed and defended well at the net, with Magdalena Jehlarova contributing three blocks. Katarina Valkova continued to involve all her attacking options, and Eva Svobodova eventually brought the set to a close with a decisive spike at 25-16.

Austria continued to prove they should not be underestimated, taking an early 7-5 lead and keeping the pressure on the hosts with powerful attacks from Kora Schaberl, who scored again 7 points in the set. Czechia, however, quickly regrouped and regained control, turning a 10-10 tie into a commanding 20-13 lead while remaining highly effective in attack. Michaela Mlejnkova and Magdalena Jehlarova led the scoring with 5 and 4 points respectively, before Bara Rejmanova delivered the finishing touch to close the set 25-17.

Czechia controlled the third set from the start, racing to a 7-3 lead and making their block a key weapon. The hosts collected five points from blocks in the set and extended their advantage to 16-7. With the outcome increasingly clear, both coaches rotated their squads and gave their players valuable court time. Czechia remained in control until the end, closing the set 25-17 to secure their second win.

Austria’s Kora Schaberl finished as the match’s top scorer with 16 points, including 14 kills, one ace and one block, but her efforts were not enough to stop the hosts. Michaela Mlejnkova led Czechia with 13 points, while Magdalena Jehlarova added nine, including four blocks.