France and Hungary book their tickets to Riga
News
The final day of #EuroVolleyU18W Pool II competition in Šiauliai delivered everything a championship decider should, statement wins, a nail-biting five-set thriller, and the confirmation of the two teams – France and Hungary – heading to the semis and medal matches coming up in Riga this weekend.
France opened the final day with a steady, controlled performance, sweeping Greece in straight sets (25-14, 25-19, 25-16) to seal their place in the finals in Riga. Elena Sanchez was once again the top scorer for France, finishing with 11 points.
The Netherlands knew only a win would keep their hopes of second place alive, and they delivered, seeing off Germany in four sets (25-16, 22-25, 25-23, 25-11). Lisa Raijmann was the standout performer with 15 points, well supported by teammate Faye Albertoe, who was the best receiver and also chipped in with four aces.
The host nation’s tournament ended in disappointment as Finland completed a straight-sets win (27-25, 25-18, 25-14), though the result did nothing to dampen the atmosphere, the home crowd stood behind their team for the entire match, combining with Finnish supporters to create a fantastic atmosphere throughout. Neea Hautakangas was once again the match top scorer with 15 points overall, while Ellinoora Tuominen gave the Finnish reception line strong support with a 52% perfect passing rate. For Lithuania, youngster Nida Jociūtė provided a bright spot, finishing as the best blocker of the match.
What a match Hungary and Bulgaria delivered! Simply one for the ages, and quite possibly the best of the entire pool phase. Bulgaria raced out to a 2-0 lead, only for Hungary to fight back and level things at 2-2. In the decider, Hungary found themselves behind early, but refused to fold, closing out the set (and the match) with two outstanding blocks in a row to win it 17-15. Both sides left absolutely everything out on the court, and the tension inside Šiauliai Arena was thick enough to cut with a knife. The standout of the match, and arguably of the whole pool, was Hungary’s opposite Eszter Zsombok, who produced a monster 31-point haul on her own. She had plenty of help from the middle, too, with sister Anna Zsombok contributing seven winning blocks.
Riga-bound: France and Hungary
With that result, the two teams securing their places in the semi-finals in Riga are France and Hungary. France will play Italy, whereas Hungary will take on Pool I winners Türkiye.
These past days would not have been possible without the volunteers and staff working tirelessly behind the scenes. A huge thank you to them, and to the Lithuanian Volleyball Federation for hosting Pool II so successfully, bringing great energy and a warm welcome to everyone throughout the week.