Volleyball

Czechia and Hungary punch ticket to #EuroVolleyU16M and #EuroVolleyU16W Finals

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Article Sat, Jan 11 2025

The MEVZA qualifiers for this year’s #EuroVolleyU16M and #EuroVolleyU16W have come to an exciting conclusion, with Czechia and Hungary claiming the gold medals and securing their progression to the final stage of these competitions scheduled for later this year in Armenia and Albania/Kosovo, respectively. 

The young members of the Czech team celebrate their triumph at the U16 men's qualifier in Maribor

U16 Men’s Tournament in Maribor (Slovenia) 

Czechia claimed the gold medal after delivering an impressive performance in the final against hosts Slovenia, winning in three straight sets 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 26-24). Their dominance throughout the match solidified their place as the top team of the tournament. The bronze medal match was a thrilling five-set battle, where Slovakia edged out Israel 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 25-13, 13-25, 15-11). In the remaining classification matches, Austria defeated Croatia 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-20) for fifth place, whereas Cyprus came back from two sets down to overcome Hungary in a hard-fought 3-2 victory (15-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 17-15) to settle for seventh. 

Hungary edged hosts Croatia at the qualifier held in Zadar to secure their progression to the #EuroVolleyU16W Final Round

U16 Women’s Tournament in Zadar (Croatia) 

Hungary emerged victorious in the women’s competition, narrowly defeating home favourites Croatia in a five-set thriller 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12) to take the gold medal and secure their spot in the final stage of the European Championship. The bronze medal went to Slovenia, who delivered a straightforward 3-0 win over Czechia (25-16, 25-17, 25-14). Slovakia defeated Cyprus 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) for fifth place, as Austria bested Israel 3-0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-21) for seventh. 

Final Standings and What’s Next

With their victories, Czechia (men) and Hungary (women) have secured direct tickets to the U16 European Championship Final Round. The remaining teams will now look forward to the second round of qualifiers scheduled for April, where they will have another opportunity to earn their place in the European Championship.

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