#EuroVolleyU18W Pool II standings take shape ahead of the final stretch

Day 6 of the #EuroVolleyU18W Pool II brought decisive results across the board, sharpening the picture ahead of Thursday’s crucial fixtures that will help determine who books their place in the semi-finals and medal matches coming up later this week in Riga.

The day started with a bang, as Hungary made a statement with a clean sweep of Germany (25-15, 25-22, 25-11). The result puts Hungary in a solid second position in the pool, with their fate now resting on the other results and Thursday’s clash against Bulgaria. Eszter Zsombok was the match top scorer with 17 points, while Germany’s Sophia Thust was the standout in reception with a 35% perfect passing rate.

Greece delivered a solid performance to see off Finland in four sets (25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22).  Ellinoora Tuominen was the top scorer for Finland with 14 points overall, but Greece had the answer with an outstanding performance from Evelina Gzountelli.

The Netherlands took care of business against the host nation in straight sets, backed by a big crowd of Dutch fans in the stands (25-18, 25-10, 25-17). It was a strong all-around performance from the Dutch side from start to finish. Yasmine Raatjes was once again the match top scorer for the Netherlands, while Danieke van Leeuwen stood out on the service line with six aces.

An amazing way to end the day. France played with a chip on their shoulder, fighting for every point against Bulgaria to seal a 3-1 win and climb into second place in the pool (23-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-15). Marie Haeweng was the match top scorer with 19 points for France, six of which came from blocks. She was well supported by teammate Elena Sanchez, who added five aces of her own, and together the pair drove their team forward. France’s attack was a cut above tonight.

All to play for
With that, Pool II in Lithuania heads into the final day with everything still to play for. France and Hungary currently sit atop the pool, and the final picture will be decided in Thursday’s last round of matches. What a thrill it is shaping up to be!