Greece turning adversity into EuroVolley momentum in Brno

Three matches in three days and two major victories over higher-ranked opponents. Greece are doing everything they can to make CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women a tournament to remember. Despite arriving in Brno with a depleted squad after a difficult summer marked by injuries, the Hellenic team have continued to deliver impressive performances and currently sit third in Pool B. Could they become one of the surprises - or even the dark horses - of the competition?

This is only Greece's eighth appearance at EuroVolley, but they already have a strong chance to match - or perhaps even improve on - their best result, which came with a place in the round of 16 in 2019. To understand the significance of their start in Brno, it is worth looking at the bigger picture. Before EuroVolley 2026, Greece had won just five matches in the competition, against 35 defeats. Their performances in Czechia have therefore been all the more remarkable, especially after a summer in which injuries ruled out five players and left head coach Apostolos Oikonomou with a 13-player roster.

Yet, as the saying goes, what does not kill you makes you stronger - and Greece have certainly lived up to that phrase. They pushed hosts Czechia all the way in their opening match before earning a dramatic five-set victory over Ukraine and then, on Sunday, claiming their first-ever EuroVolley win against Bulgaria. All three opponents had competed in this year's Volleyball Nations League.

"We had some difficult days before coming here and before this game. Some of our teammates are not even here, but we are here and we are trying to give our best every day. I think today showed that there are no excuses. Of course there is some tiredness, but with a strong mindset and good tactics, we were able to win these two matches," said 27-year-old middle blocker Markella Papageorgiou.

For head coach Apostolos Oikonomou, the victories have brought a growing sense of belief within the squad:

The importance of the second consecutive victory was also underlined by 26-year-old outside hitter Effrosyni Bakodimou, one of Greece's leading scorers: "This win means a lot because we have talked many times as a team about our goals and what we want to achieve. Before every match, we talk about our mindset, and today, getting our second win in a row shows that we managed to put all of that into practice on the court. For us, it is more than just a win. It feels like we are achieving something bigger, and it is a great reward for everything we have been working on."

After losing so many players during the preparation period, coach Oikonomou has repeatedly highlighted the contribution of every member of the squad that travelled to Brno. Over the first three matches, every available player has had a chance to contribute.

"In those three games I used all the players from the bench, and every player has played an important role. I think that is how we win - as a team - and that is the most important thing."

Greece and Czechia were the only teams in Pool B to play three matches in three consecutive days, making Monday's rest day particularly welcome.

"We are more than happy to have a day off now. It is very important for us because we have to recover from our small problems and prepare well for the next game against Austria. They are a really good team, and it is a match where we have to do our best to win," Papageorgiou said.

While the players finally get some extra time to recover, the coaching staff will immediately turn their attention to the next challenge.

"We have to refresh our minds, and our next game is against Austria. We have to stay humble, competitive and aggressive, just as we have been until now, if we want to win that match as well. Hopefully, after that, we can also deliver a competitive performance against Serbia. And if we qualify for the round of 16, we have to remain competitive."

Reaching the knockout stage now appears to be within Greece's grasp, but Bakodimou admits that only a few weeks ago the situation looked very different: "The goal we had in mind coming here was to reach the top 16, but shortly before arriving in Czechia, because of all the difficulties and problems we had, we were not sure we could do it. After these two wins, I think we have the confidence to say that we can reach the top 16. All summer we worked towards EuroVolley and learned a lot. We played many friendly matches in a row, which taught us how to manage this kind of schedule. We faced Sweden, the Italian team that went to the Mediterranean Games and Azerbaijan, among others, and all those matches helped prepare us for EuroVolley."

With confidence growing and a united squad making the most of every opportunity, the Hellenic side are proving that they are far more than just participants in Pool B - they are becoming one of the stories of the tournament.