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National Team News
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.
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.
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.