Germany extend winning streak to four in a row in Šiauliai

Day 4 of #EuroVolleyU18W Pool II action continued to build on the tournament’s intensity, with dramatic comebacks, standout individual performances, and hard-fought battles across every match on court. Germany remain the sole team with four wins in as many matches – followed by a quartet of teams with three victories apiece, namely Bulgaria, Hungary, the Netherlands, and France. 

To start the day, Finland put up a great fight against a fierce German side, but could not find a way past their opponents, falling in three tight sets (22-25, 21-25, 20-25). Despite the result, there was plenty for Finland to be proud of. Neea Hautakangas was the match top scorer with 14 points, while Ellinoora Tuominen impressed as the best server. Iris Havulinna anchored the defence with a 44% perfect reception rate, and Hautakangas added a strong all-around showing with three winning blocks to finish as the match best blocker too.

The match of the day featured Hungary and France. Hungary pushed France all the way to five sets in a rollercoaster battle that had the crowd on its feet from start to finish, with France eventually having the upper hand (28-26, 25-8, 21-25, 14-25, 15-11). Coming off the bench, Gréta Pampuch was sensational for Hungary, finishing as the match top scorer with a huge 20 points. France leaned on a strong defensive platform, with Marie Haeweng posting a 40% perfect reception rate. Hungary emptied the tank in defeat, with the bench standing behind the starting six for the full game. The result keeps Hungary in 3rd place in the pool with three wins and 10 points, level with Bulgaria above them, separated only by a narrow set ratio.

Bulgaria completed the sweep, but not without a fight from the hosts, who were roared on by a big home crowd all match long (25-21, 25-18, 25-10). Katerina Popova was the top scorer for Bulgaria with 15 points. For the home side, Nida Jociutė was the standout server with three aces, while Elija Česnavičiūtė finished as the match best blocker.

The Netherlands closed out the day with a clean sweep of Greece, though the Greeks made them work for it with a solid, disciplined performance throughout (25-23, 25-21, 25-22). The arena was awash in orange, with a wave of Dutch fans cheering their team on from start to finish. Lisa Raijmann was the standout performer, top-scoring with 15 points while also finishing as the match best blocker. Greece could take pride in their defence, with libero Konstantina Drempela providing calm and security in the back row all night. High in spirit and full of outstanding rallies, it was a fitting way to close out the day’s action.