France recorded their second win, while Italy secured their third victory in the presence of the CEV President

On the third day of competition in Pool D of the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women in Goteborg, France defeated Croatia 3–0 (25–16, 25–17, 25–22) in the first match of the day, while Italy claimed a 3–0 (25–18, 25–23, 25–14) victory over Sweden in the derby of the day in front of 6,801 spectators.

Pool D – France vs Croatia 3–0 (25–16, 25–17, 25–22)

France defeated Croatia 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22) to secure their second victory in Pool D of the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women. It was a match filled with long rallies and great teamwork. France’s Cyrielle Depié was the match’s top blocker, scoring five points from blocks.

The first set started with a long rally, setting the tone for the rest of the match. France came out on top in most of the extended exchanges. Croatia tried to interrupt France’s momentum with a timeout and substitutions, but the French side kept pushing forward. Cyrielle Depié scored six points in the opening set. At 17-11, Croatia called their second timeout, looking for a way to close the gap. However, France went on to win the set 25-16.
Much like the first set, the second saw both teams fighting for every point. Both sides remained persistent in defence and refused to give anything away without a fight. France gradually built a small lead, partly thanks to their serving pressure. Dabard-Selosse, Rotar, Depié and Sylves each served an ace for France, giving them a total of four aces in the set. France closed it out 25-17.
Both Croatia and France fought tooth and nail in the third set – Croatia pushing for a fourth set and France looking to secure their second 3-0 victory at the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women. Midway through the set, France shifted gears and once again built a small lead. Croatia stayed close behind, with their defensive line led by libero Izabela Štimac. A powerful spike from France’s Amélie Rotar sealed the match at 25-22.

The match between France and Croatia was attended by Roko Sikirić, CEV President, and Vuk Karanović, CEV Managing Director, who were joined by Annika Sjöberg, President of the Swedish Volleyball Federation and CEV Vice President, Simon Dahl, Secretary General of the Swedish Volleyball Federation, and Margaret Ann Fleming, CEV Jury President for the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women.
Also watching the match were Eric Tanguy, President of the French Volleyball Federation and CEV Second Vice President, and Frane Žanić, President of the Croatian Volleyball Federation.

Pool D – Italy vs Sweden 3–0 (25–18, 25–23, 25–14)

Olympic and World champions Italy secured their third win by defeating hosts Sweden 3–0 (25–18, 25–23, 25–14) in Pool D of the CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women. For the third day in a row, Scandinavium broke the attendance record, with a new record of 6,801 spectators.

Italy started the first set strongly, claiming four points in a row and forcing Sweden into an early timeout at 4–0. With a sea of blue and yellow supporters behind them, Sweden kept fighting, trying to find new ways to score. Italy’s outside hitter Ekaterina Antropova showed her best side on court, scoring eight points in the first set. At 10–4, Sweden called another timeout, trying to disrupt Italy’s rhythm.
After the timeout, Sweden slowly began to close the gap, with most of their points coming through star player Isabelle Haak. Looking to change things up and give the starting six a rest, Sweden’s head coach made several substitutions. The changes appeared to have an effect, as Italy called a timeout at 23–18. However, Italy quickly closed out the set 25–18.
Italy once again proved why they are ranked number one in the world. Barely giving the Swedish defence any time to breathe, Italy alternated powerful spikes with well-placed tips over the block. Sweden, however, stayed close, with the points going back and forth. Thanks to solid reception from Hanna Helvig and some miraculous saves from Filippa Brink, Sweden gained the upper hand. At 20–18, Italy were forced to call a timeout before Sweden could pull further ahead. Despite Sweden’s strong performance, Italy claimed the second set 25–23.
The Swedish girls kept trying to push forward, but Italy were not interested in allowing another close set. Stepping up their game, Italy quickly took control of the third and final set. At 11–7, Sweden brought middle blocker Malin Hallin and outside hitter Maya Tabron onto the court to provide some fresh energy. However, Italy continued to power forward and closed out the third set 25–14.
Ekaterina Antropova was Italy’s top scorer, finishing with 18 points, while her teammate Sarah Fahr contributed five blocks.