On the verge of a dream – A Volleyball celebration in Kecskemét!

Last Saturday, with their victory against Montenegro, the Hungarian women’s national team secured their place among the top four teams of the competition even before the final matchday in the League Round of the CEV Volleyball European League. Alessandro Chiappini’s team ultimately finished the group stage in third place with a win against Kosovo, and by reaching the semi-finals they also qualified for the CEV EuroVolley 2028. 

The Hungarian national team will host Sweden, the second-placed team of the group stage, in Kecskemét on Saturday, June 27 at 6:00 p.m., while the return match will take place in Örebro on Wednesday, July 1 at 6:00 p.m.

There are several special aspects to this tie. On court, the two most prolific scorers of the competition will face each other: Anett Németh leads the Hungarian team with 138 points, while Isabelle Haak tops the European League scoring list with 158 points on the Swedish side. It is also interesting that both teams are led by Italian head coaches, each supported by a Hungarian assistant coach. The Hungarian team is mentored by Alessandro Chiappini, assisted by Dávid Szabó, who will join the professional staff of reigning national champions Vasas Óbuda from next season. On the other side, head coach Lorenzo Micelli is assisted by Gábor Tóth, who is also the professional head of youth development at the Hungarian Volleyball Federation.

Following their return home on Monday, the national team was given one and a half days of rest, after which training resumed in Békéscsaba on Tuesday evening. The team travels to Kecskemét on Friday, where another important tie awaits. The stakes of the semi-final go beyond simply reaching the final. Thanks to recent results, the Hungarian national team has steadily improved its position in the world rankings (currently 23rd) and has now extended its unbeaten run to eleven competitive matches. As a result, the team is getting closer to being able to dream of participating in a World Championship again after 44 years. Therefore, every victory and every world ranking point is of particular importance.

According to the new format of the European League, the team that wins both matches advances to the final, or - if each team wins one match - the winner is decided in a Golden Set played to 15 points after the second match.

“Sweden clearly represent a higher level, we expect a very strong opponent. We are talking about a team with outstanding individual skills and great physical strength. We know that we will only have a chance if we deliver our best performance, and we are preparing accordingly. We are very happy to have reached this stage, and we want to truly experience and enjoy this moment,” said Chiappini.

One of the most interesting figures in the tie is Gábor Tóth, who is the professional head of youth development at the Hungarian Volleyball Federation and also serves as assistant coach of the Swedish women’s national team for the second year. According to him, the professional cooperation between the two countries works well, based on the close working relationship he has developed with Lorenzo Micelli. This cooperation has resulted in several initiatives, including the March study tour in Istanbul, as well as knowledge sharing that supports the development of the sport in Hungary. The Hungarian Volleyball Federation aims to strengthen international relations, one example of which is the work of Csaba Batári, who has been working with youth national teams for years and will join Swiss club NUC as assistant coach and statistician in the autumn. For Gábor Tóth, it is especially important that more young Hungarian coaches gain international experience and later use that knowledge and approach to support the development of Volleyball in Hungary.

“In this tie, I will definitely be happy in the end. If Hungary wins, I can rejoice as a proud Hungarian who wholeheartedly supports Hungarian Volleyball and the women’s national team. If Sweden advances, I can be happy for the team I work with, with whom we fight for our goals every day. It is a wonderful feeling to see the development path the Hungarian women’s national team has taken, and I sincerely hope that this success story will continue for a long time,” said Tóth proudly.