Ukraine's national team kept their hopes alive for qualifying for the Final Eight of the Nations League after defeating Germany 3:1 (25:23, 20:25, 25:22, 26:24) in their last main phase match, played in Belgrade.
The success kept Raul Lozano's proteges in the battle for a spot among the top eight, but their fate now depends entirely on Bulgaria. The Ukrainians will qualify for the finals in China only if the Bulgarian national team loses to France in their last match of the tournament. If the "Lions" are defeated by any score, Ukraine will finish ahead of Bulgaria in the final standings.
The start of the match was difficult for the Ukrainians, who fell behind 4:9 after a series of errors. Gradually, however, the team found its rhythm, and Oleh Plotnytskyi led the comeback with excellent serving, scoring two consecutive aces. In the decisive moments, Vladyslav Shchurov stopped the German attack with a block and secured the first set's victory with 25:23.
Germany leveled the score after strong blocking and serving in the second set, which they won 25:20.
In the third part, Ukraine once again took the initiative. Maksym Tonkonoh and Oleh Plotnytskyi led the team to a multi-point lead, which the Ukrainians managed to maintain until the end for a 25:22 victory.
The fourth set was the most dramatic. Germany led 17:13, but the Ukrainians made an impressive run of six consecutive points, with Dmytro Yanchuk scoring two aces, and the hosts' block working excellently. In the tense finish, the Ukrainians showed stronger nerves and closed out the match with a 26:24 win.
The top scorer for the winners was the only 18-year-old opposite Maksym Tonkonoh with 21 points. The young talent matched the best performance by a Ukrainian opposite in the Nations League over the past two seasons, impressing with his exceptional attacking efficiency and committing no attack errors.
The victory left Ukraine awaiting the outcome of the match between Bulgaria and France, which will definitively determine which of the two teams will advance to the Final Eight of the Nations League.
photo:volleyballworld.com
