#EuroVolleyU18W Pool II heats up as race for semis intensifies

Day 5 of #EuroVolleyU18W Pool II action brought some of the tightest, highest-quality Volleyball of the competition so far, with the race for a place in the semi-finals and medal matches in Riga now firmly in the spotlight. France ended Germany’s winning streak with a dominant display as Bulgaria, Hungary, and Greece celebrated wins as well. Two full days of action remain to decide the final two teams after a rest day on Tuesday. 

Bulgaria got the day underway with a hard-fought win over Finland, who pushed all the way into the fourth set before falling just short of forcing a fifth (25-17, 25-9, 23-25, 25-23). Neea Hautakangas was outstanding for Finland, finishing as the match top scorer with 19 points on her own. For Bulgaria, Antonia Stanislavova was in inspired form from the service line with six aces, while Edna Todorova anchored the defence with an excellent 60% perfect reception rate. It was a great match to open the fifth day of competition. 

The match of the day followed next. Hungary and the Netherlands went the distance in a five-set thriller packed with brilliant rallies from both sides, with everything on the line and Hungary eventually having the upper hand (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9). With the win, Hungary keep their hopes alive for second place in the pool and a ticket to the finals in Riga, with the standings still very much open heading into the final two days. Despite the defeat, the Netherlands showed real quality, with Yasmine Raatjes putting in a phenomenal individual performance – 31 points and a 32% perfect reception rate, the best passing display of the match for her side. Hungary hold on to the second place in the pool.

Greece got the better of the hosts (25-18, 17-25, 29-27, 25-14) in a hard-fought contest, with both sides fighting for every point on the way to a valuable three points in the standings. Evelina Gzountelli was the standout performer for Greece, top-scoring with 20 points while also excelling in the backrow with a 44% perfect reception rate. For the home side, Nida Jociutė was fearless in attack, finishing with 18 points as Lithuania’s best spiker on the night.

The day closed with a statement win, as France upset a Germany side (25-18, 25-21, 25-20) considered the favourites for the game, delivering an outstanding all-around performance. Both teams left it all on court, trading powerful hits more befitting the senior game than an underage category. France showed real character in the third set, clawing back from a seven-point deficit to seal the win. Elena Sanchez was the standout, top-scoring with 15 points as France’s opposite, while Germany’s Sophia Thust was outstanding in attack with 13 points and also impressed in back row with a 41% perfect reception rate. The result blows the pool wide open, with the two tickets to the finals still very much up for grabs and no clear-cut favourite in sight.