Volleyball in Transylvania: What EuroVolley means to Romanian Volleyball
News
There are host cities, and then there are cities that have been waiting for this moment for years. Cluj-Napoca belongs firmly to the second category. When CEV EuroVolley 2026 arrives in the heart of Transylvania, it won't just be bringing top-level Volleyball to Romania; it will be closing a gap that has stood since the last time the country welcomed a European Championship on home soil.
That wait is precisely what makes this summer feel different.
Sergiu Stancu"Playing a tournament at home will be special and emotional, especially since it has been many years since Romania last hosted a European Championship. At the same time, however, it can also be a major advantage for us."
Romania Head Coach
Stancu's Romania arrive at this EuroVolley with a squad built on balance rather than reinvention. "We have several highly experienced players, as we are not an entirely young team. We have a good balance between experience and youth," he explains, and it's that blend, paired with the emotional weight of a home tournament, that he believes can carry the team further than the numbers alone might suggest. His confidence extends beyond the roster and into the stands: "I am confident that the fans in Cluj-Napoca will come to the arena in large numbers and create a fantastic atmosphere. That kind of energy makes a huge difference, both for the players and for the coaching staff."
For captain Claudiu Dumitru, the significance runs deeper than nostalgia; this is uncharted territory for the players themselves.
Claudiu Dumitru"There will certainly be some pressure, as this is the first time this generation has had the opportunity to compete in a major final tournament on home soil."
Romanian National Team Captain
Pressure, in Dumitru's telling, is simply the flip side of opportunity. "We will do everything we can to prepare properly and reach our best possible form for this European Championship, which we will have the privilege of playing at home," he says, before turning the spotlight back to the people who will fill the arena. "That is precisely why we hope to see as many supporters as possible in the stands in Cluj-Napoca. Together, with their support, we can achieve all of our objectives."
It's a sentiment echoed right at the top of Romanian Volleyball. Federation President Adin Cojocaru has spent months building towards this tournament, and as the final preparations come together, his focus has turned from logistics to legacy.
Adin Cojocaru"We are eagerly looking forward to the start of the European Championship in Cluj-Napoca. Everything is ready, and we are delighted to welcome all the participating teams and guests to this important competition. We hope to organise a successful tournament, both on and off the court. With the support of the fans, whom we hope to see in large numbers in the stands, we believe that the Romanian national team can deliver a strong performance and achieve the result we are all hoping for."
Romanian Volleyball Federation President
The choice of Cluj-Napoca as host city is no accident of geography. Transylvania has quietly become one of Romanian Volleyball's most productive engines, and EuroVolley 2026 arrives at a moment when that foundation is only getting stronger.
Romania's Volleyball landscape includes more than 200 active clubs at the senior and youth levels nationwide, and Transylvania alone accounts for roughly 60 of them, a concentration that makes the region one of the country's richest sources of playing talent. Eight of the 24 teams competing in Romania's top men's and women's divisions call this part of the country home, while the rest of the region's clubs are largely occupied with nurturing the next generation through the U13, U15, U17 and U19 ranks. It's a structure that lets young players start close to home and follow a clear path all the way to the senior and professional game.
The momentum shows no sign of slowing. A new multipurpose arena is under construction in Brașov, designed to become the largest venue of its kind anywhere in Romania, and the Federation is already looking at what it could host next, from domestic showpieces to major international events, as part of a broader ambition to push Romanian Volleyball to a higher level still.
The sport's reach in the region isn't confined to the indoor game, either. Beach Volleyball tournaments are a regular fixture in Oradea, Arad, Sibiu and Timișoara, while Brașov has even begun experimenting with the country's first Snow Volleyball initiatives. Between the indoor courts, the sand, and the snow, Transylvania has become a region where Volleyball is played in every form the sport has to offer, with Cluj-Napoca sitting right at its centre.
When the ball is tossed for the opening whistle in Cluj-Napoca this September, it will mark more than the start of a tournament. It will be the payoff for a region that has spent years building clubs, courts and pathways for its young players, and for a generation of Romanian internationals who will finally get to test themselves on the biggest stage, in front of the crowd that raised them.
As Stancu puts it, that home energy "makes a huge difference." This summer, Transylvania gets to prove it.