Türkiye and Italy stand tall after first three rounds in Riga

The first, provisional conclusions regarding the balance of power have been drawn in the #EuroVolleyU18W Pool I – which is being contested in Riga. Türkiye and Italy have taken the lead following the first pack of three matches. The Italians lost their first set of the tournament but lived up to their status as favourites against Belgium, while the Türkiye team delighted their fans with a convincing victory over their direct rivals, Poland. Time to fix the hair, so to speak, and get ready for the second part of the competition after a rest day on Saturday. 

When playing for the third consecutive day, fatigue increasingly affects performance, however, this was not particularly noticeable in the performance of the leading teams. The toughest challenge fell to the Icelandic team, which finished their game against the tournament hosts late Thursday evening but were back on the court around midday on Friday to play again. The Czech team capitalised on the situation, opening the day with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-23) victory over the Scandinavians utilising all 14 players on their roster. Eleven of them scored at least one point, with Anezka Siruckova leading the scoring with 15 points.

The Italian players made a confident start against Belgium, establishing a decisive lead midway through each of the first two sets. Although their opponents managed to snatch one set, the Italians ultimately won the match 3-1 (25-19, 25-12, 17-25, 25-21). It was another six blocks for Bianca Legrenzi – most productive blocker in the Riga pool, while last tournament finalists Belgium are still looking for their first win. 

In the most anticipated clash of the day Poland and Türkiye entered the game with a 2-0 record and a good chance of reaching the semi-finals. Yet only the first set proved to be a tight contest. A couple of aces tipped the scales in favour of the Turkish side and they continued in the same vein to secure a convincing 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-19) victory. 
“We are really happy and proud of our performance and the results in the first three games. We have worked hard to get to this point, and so far, things are going quite well for us on the court. The match against Poland was the toughest one yet, but we know that even more harder matches lie ahead. We need to be ready for that,” said setter Selin Yener after the match.
She highlighted the performance of opposite Aylin Uysalcan on her team. One of the tournament’s most effective – and arguably most spectacular – players, she has already scored 43 points across nine sets and sealed the match against Poland with an ace.
The players appreciate the opportunity to rest on Saturday after three days of games, allowing to gather their strength for the remainder of the tournament. “I will not deny it – it’s not easy. Playing three days in a row takes a lot of energy, but we anticipated this and prepared for it. We will manage that,” Yener promised.

A three-day play marathon concluded on Friday with Spain’s 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-18) victory over Latvia. Given player fatigue and the flow of the match, coaches from both teams rotated their lineups extensively. “A rest day will really come in handy, as we feel our energy gradually running low. We also train on match mornings, and then the girls have to get their hair done – it’s not easy to fit everything in,” smiled Latvian national team blocker Elza Skalbe after the game.

After a rest day, the hosts face a tough test against Türkiye on Sunday. The competition will also resume with matches between Czechia and Belgium, Spain and Iceland, and Italy and Poland.