Poland and France lead way at #EuroVolleyU18M after five days of pool play

The national teams of Poland and France lead the way in Pool I and II after completion of the fifth day of action at #EuroVolleyU18M in Porto San Giorgio and Cisterna di Latina before a rest day on Monday. 

Pool I in Porto San Giorgio 

At PalaSavelli, Greece beat Serbia 3-2 (25-17, 31-33, 25-21, 21-25, 16-14) to secure their third victory of the tournament, whereas Serbia’s win-loss record dropped to 1-4. Poland refused to slow down and secured their fifth consecutive victory, proving, once again, that they are the team to beat in this group. This time, they needed three sets only to rout Finland in emphatic style (25-21, 25-16, 25-19). Later in the day, Slovenia claimed their fourth win of the tournament, thereby consolidating their second place in the standings as they beat Türkiye 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-13, 25-21). In the final match of the evening, after the previous day’s loss at the hands of Poland, Italy immediately returned to victory with a resounding 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-12) win over Iceland. 
The youngsters coached by Vincenzo Fanizza delivered a very solid performance, keeping full control of the game, never giving Hakon Freyr Arnarsson and his teammates any hope of posing a real threat. 
Leonardo Meoni said after the victory: “We were a little disappointed after yesterday’s defeat, but we must continue to give our all in every match. Today we put in a good performance because, even when we were clearly ahead, we stayed in control and did not relax. Tomorrow we will recharge our batteries for Tuesday’s very important match against Slovenia.”

Pool II in Cisterna di Latina 

With two days remaining in pool play, France (3-1 against the Netherlands) and Bulgaria (3-0 against Belgium) remain tied at the top of the table with four wins and 12 points, ahead of Czechia, Spain, and Belgium, who have three wins apiece. 

The day opened with a matchup between Czechia and Germany, which the Germans won in four sets: the first three were played point-for-point, with Jascha Gräfe and his teammates dominating the final set. It was a collective effort for Germany, with four players in double figures, as they defended well, and held their nerve in the decisive moments – they won the first set 26-24 after saving a set point. In the second, they maintained a breakaway lead until the end, keeping the Czechs at bay (25-22). In the third, they relaxed and allowed Jan Svoboda’s team to stay in the match (23-25). In the fourth, they immediately broke away, increased their lead, and took the match with poise (25-16).

France secured a commanding victory, but struggled more than expected to defeat the Netherlands (who are stuck at the bottom of the standings with no points). After winning the first two sets without much difficulty (25-19 and 25-17), the young Bleus probably thought they had the match in hand and relaxed, slowing down the pace. The Netherlands, for their part, showed pride and physicality, playing their cards to get back into the match in the third set: the Orange started with a small advantage (+3), which they further extended (9-13), France defended with difficulty and left the way open to the players coached by Matt van Wezel (18-25). The fourth set was played point for point until 8-8, then France showed their best game and eventually closed it out fairly quickly (25-16).
France coach Paul Cooper: “Our best qualities are our defensive ability and good technique. Since we are the shortest team in the competition, we have to find a different way of playing than the others. We can still improve our reception a lot and limit our opponents’ aces. We are fortunate to be able to constantly vary our game, with two very different setters, who make the team attack differently. In terms of physicality, we cannot compete with the other teams. First of all, because we are the shortest, but also because we are the youngest. I only have three players born in 2009; the others are born in 2010 and 2011. In terms of height and power, we lose. So we have to adapt. If we are not strong defensively, we have no chance of competing.”

Later in the day, Bulgaria beat Belgium in three sets. The Belgians found themselves against an insurmountable obstacle in the initial part of the first set. The young Lions, on the other hand, played well and had fun, gaining a significant lead, which was reduced in the final stages by the Belgian reaction that stopped at 22-25. In the second set, Bulgaria continued to play well. Belgium put up a fight, but Bulgaria changed gear when required to do so. The Lions dominated the third set as well, thereby sealing a comprehensive 3-0 win. 
Bulgaria coach Miroslav Zhivkov: “My team’s greatest asset is their mental strength, which allows them to play every match with the right level of concentration. We always train intensely, focused, and all that work comes through in the match. The only time we failed to do so was against Germany. When we faced the Germans, we were coming off a win in our opening match against France, which came after a very intense match: mentally, we were not as energised as on other occasions. Now, the two most important matches await us: nothing is decided yet, and we cannot afford any lapses in concentration.”

Later in the evening, Romania set the pace in the opening set, but soon Spain’s opposite Roger Monzo Luengo took centre stage, scoring the last three points of the set for his side. The Spanish team performed well, especially with Monzo (top scorer in the end with 27 points). The same pattern was repeated in the second set where Spain took a three-point lead which they kept and further extended. However, the course of the match changed with Romania claiming a close third set (25-23) and performing much better than their opponents in the fourth (25-18). There was another turnaround in the tiebreak, where Fredison Mosquera’s team put on a show to close the match in style 15-7.