Latvia and Lithuania join forces to deliver historic #EuroVolleyU18W in 2026
News
In a truly historic endeavour, the National Federations of Latvia and Lithuania will be joining forces to deliver the 2026 edition of #EuroVolleyU18W. This event will be breaking new ground in Volleyball history, as the first championship of this calibre to be co-hosted by two neighbouring Baltic countries.
Aleksandar Boričić“This collaboration is not merely about organising an event; it represents a strategic investment in the future of Volleyball in these countries and across the whole of Europe. By providing young athletes a platform to showcase their talent and passion for the sport, we are nurturing the next generation of Volleyball stars."
CEV President
If Latvia already has a wealth of experience especially when it comes to the successful delivery of major Beach Volleyball international competitions (and this coming June it will welcome the final stage of the Olympic qualifying Beach Volley Nations Cup), Lithuania will be delivering the final stage of a continental championship for the very first time.
This comes at a very exciting time for the local Volleyball community, which has been making much progress as shown by their achievements at the most recent zonal events organised within the Eastern European Volleyball Zonal Association (EEVZA) and Lithuania’s historic qualification for this year’s #EuroVolleyU18W in Romania and Greece.
A #EuroVolleyU18W on home soil obviously represents a major incentive for many young players from across both Latvia and Lithuania, who have been making their ‘baby steps’ on the international stage or are yet to wear the shirt of their national team for the very first time. They will be proudly doing so in about two years’ time.
Latvia had previously hosted an U18 Boys’ European Championship in 2005 – so the event in 2026 will coincide with the return of such a tournament to the Baltic country after more than 20 years. On the other hand, Lithuania will join the ever-growing list of National Federations taking up the challenge of venture into such an endeavour for the first time.
The event in Latvia and Lithuania scheduled for 2026 will follow on the 2024 edition, which is due to take place later this summer in Romania and Greece.
“We have been dreaming for several years about the possibility of organising the Final Round of an age-group Volleyball European Championship. The desire to organise such tournaments in Europe is usually high, so we greatly appreciate that our vision for the development of women’s Volleyball in this region has convinced the European Volleyball Confederation to grant such an opportunity to Latvia and Lithuania. We are very pleased that together with Lithuania we have united in one team as real braliukas [brothers] and we are confident that we will be able to deliver a high-level competition together with our neighbours,” said Board member of the Latvian Volleyball Federation, Arturs Vitkovskis.
“When Arturs Vitkovskis called us and proposed to deliver the final round of a European Championship together, the first thought was just “Bring it on”. Although for us it will be the first event of such calibre indoors, we have been dreaming about it for far too long. Such collaborations represent a huge opportunity to show that through cooperation and friendship we can achieve more great things and grow our sports together. Strengthening partnerships and creating opportunities for our athletes, showcasing the best ones is a huge impulse for the development of the sports and will help us show to our governing bodies how much Volleyball matters within our communities. We are thankful for such a strong and reliable partner as the Latvian Volleyball Federation, for their trust in us and for inviting us to join this adventure. We are sure that it will be a remarkable event for the youth across the whole Baltic region,” says the Secretary General of the Lithuanian Volleyball Federation, Alisa Cesnuleviciute.