Italy and Türkiye start strong in Riga, Spain enjoy emotional victory over Belgium

The biggest surprise of the first day of the #EuroVolleyU18W Final Round Pool I in Riga was caused by Spain, whose players fought back and defeated the previous tournament’s runners-up Belgium 3-1 (18-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-19). Elizabeth Perfection Uwagboe Akuetiehme stood out for the winning team with 21 points and threw herself into an emotional victory dance with her teammates. 

“I am so happy and excited! We played against Belgium twice before and finally managed to beat them. I am really happy,” the Spanish player could not hide a wide smile. She believes that such a success will allow the Spanish team to continue this championship with even greater confidence. “Such victories show that we can play at the highest level. We will also try to show that in the next games.” 

Spain's next game is coming up very soon – as early as around midday on Thursday, when they will face another group favourite, Poland. The team led by Joanna Staniucha-Szczurek defeated hosts Latvia 3-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-14, 25-15) in their first game.

The young Italian and Turkish players also lived up to their status as favourites in their respective opening matches. The Italians - three-time champions in this age group - defeated underdogs Iceland 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-10), confidently taking the first step toward the Final Four. “A good start to the tournament. It was not a particularly difficult match, but it was a good way to open the European Championship, helping the team shake off the initial nerves typical of such competitions. We face a much tougher game tomorrow against Czechia, and we are ready for it,” said Stefano Gregoris, head coach of the Italian national team. He agreed that it is not a top secret that the team’s goal is to fight for the title in this championship. “We have a good team, but to win the tournament, we will need to deliver a high-quality performance. The group here in Riga is very strong; Türkiye and Poland are certainly aiming for the top two spots. We want that too, but we will have to fight for it,” the coach added.

Italy will continue the tournament on Thursday with a match against Czechia, a team that lost 0-3 (18-25, 21-25, 16-25) to Türkiye in their opening game. Aylin Uysalcan was named the best player on the winning side. “It was a very good victory, as the first matches of any tournament are usually difficult and nerve-wracking. We showed good teamwork and hope to play better and better every next day,” the player said. She has been enjoying Riga’s parks and green zones during these early days of the tournament: “There is also beautiful architecture here, but we did not come for sightseeing or to enjoy the city. We have a job to do here!” Uysalcan avoided singling out any specific opponents, emphasising instead that any team can be dangerous if underestimated: “To win it all, you need to be ready for every match!”