Estonia stun heavyweights to secure ticket to #EuroVolleyU20M
News
The EEVZA U20 Men’s Volleyball Championship successfully finished on October 31, 2026, at the Gazprom Sport and Education Complex in Yerevan, Armenia. The four-day competition brought together six young talented national teams from Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine – providing athletes with an opportunity to compete at an international level and demonstrate their skills and competitive spirit – with a ticket to next year’s #EuroVolleyU20M at stake as well.
A total of nine matches were played throughout the event, featuring exciting encounters and strong competition among the participating teams. One of the most drama-filled matches took place between the two neighbouring Caucasian nations, Armenia and Georgia, where following an intense and closely contested battle, Georgia secured a 3-2 victory over the home side.
Some more surprises highlighted the competition, when in the pool phase Latvia beat Ukraine 3-2 and Estonia stunned Poland in three sets.
At the end of the tournament, Estonia claimed first place, Latvia finished second, and Poland secured third place. By winning the competition, Estonia also earned direct qualification for the Final Round of the #EuroVolleyU20M due to take place next year in Croatia and Montenegro. Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine have all progressed to the second round of qualifications scheduled for the spring of 2027.
Latvia’s head coach Raimonds Liniņs was satisfied with the performance of his players, but at the same time acknowledged that their rivals from Estonia currently possess more experience, and having played throughout the tournament very convincingly, they deserved to win. “We gained the most important thing from this match – the boys had the chance to experience what it feels like playing in a final. It is gratifying to see the players’ performance and the work they have put in so far. Obviously, it would have been even better to win, but the boys showed good Volleyball and gained valuable experience. They will continue to develop and prepare in order to perform successfully in the next round.”
Lauris Iecelnieks, head coach of Estonia, commented: “The emotions after the final match are running free. I am very proud of the performance delivered by my team throughout the tournament, including the victory over Poland, which is very important for Estonia as a rather small country – the final was very special too since I am originally from Latvia. I would like to deserve some good words for the local organisers too.”
Jacek Nawrocki, head coach of Poland said: “Our goal was to win the competition and after the loss to Estonia, which played really good, it was not easy to play for the third place, but my team managed to regroup mentally and physically and they did a good job in the match with Ukraine to secure the bronze medals.”
The final day concluded with an official closing and awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements of the top three teams and Estonia’s victory.
The Armenian Volleyball Federation ensured the successful organisation of the competition and provided media coverage through photography, video production, interviews, and regular updates on its social media platforms. The event marked another important contribution to youth Volleyball development and international sporting cooperation within the EEVZA region. The Armenian Volleyball Federation extends its appreciation to EEVZA, the local supporters and all participating teams and officials for their contribution to the success of the competition.