Stars in the making secure spot to compete at U18 European Championships

The second-round qualifiers for this year’s #EuroVolleyU18M and #EuroVolleyU18W were completed on Sunday, thereby defining the list of teams progressing to the Final Round of these age-group continental championships scheduled for later this summer in Italy and Latvia / Lithuania, respectively. 

In the U18 men’s competition, all five pool winners advanced to the Final Round – Germany, Romania, Czechia, the Netherlands, and France. With the only exception of Czechia, all these teams completed a clean sweep of the matches they contested in their respective pools. Germany and Romania made the home-court advantage count as they were just flawless in Frankfurt and Ploiesti. Germany and France were the most dominant teams across the spectrum as they took maximum nine points from their three matches in Pool A and E. Moreover, the four second-ranked teams with the best results across the five pools punched a ticket to the Final Round as well. Türkiye, Serbia, and Belgium all claimed two wins and six ranking points. The last available ticket goes to Greece – runners-up in Pool B, who – tied in wins and ranking points – edged Croatia courtesy of a better set points ratio (1.200 vs 1.1667). 

These nine teams will convene in early July in Porto San Giorgio and Cisterna di Latina where they are due to join hosts Italy, plus the winners of the 1st round zonal qualifiers – Bulgaria (BVA), Finland (NEVZA), Iceland (SCA), Poland (EEVZA), Slovenia (MEVZA), and Spain (WEVZA). The continental championship in Italy will run from July 7 to 18, 2026. 

Over to the #EuroVolleyU18W 2nd round qualifiers, the five pool winners – Bulgaria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Czechia, and France – all claimed three wins and maximum nine points in a real show of strength. Bulgaria and Czechia provided something to cheer about to their home fans in Sofia and Kutna Hora. With two countries – Latvia and Lithuania – sharing the right to host the Final Round, ‘only’ the three runners-up with the best result did progress to the next stage of the competition. With two wins and six ranking points each, Greece, Spain, and Germany eventually secured a ticket to the Final Round. There they will join the host countries’ teams plus the winners of the 1st Round zonal qualifiers – namely Finland (NEVZA), Hungary (MEVZA), Iceland (SCA), Italy (WEVZA), Poland (EEVZA), and Türkiye (BVA). The event in Riga (Latvia) and Šiauliai (Lithuania) will run from July 1 to 12. 

The Drawing of Lots to allocate the 16 participating teams in each gender to the respective pools whereby the Final Round will get underway is scheduled for April 8, 2026. Detailed results will be published shortly after its completion.