The Ukrainian national team will begin its preparations for the 2026 European Championship next week, after the players receive about ten days of rest following the end of their participation in the Volleyball Nations League. This was revealed by opposite hitter Vasyl Tupchii after the 1:3 loss to Poland in the quarterfinals. The Ukrainians made their strongest performance in the history of the tournament, reaching the elimination rounds for the first time in their second participation in the VNL and finishing in a prestigious seventh place.
"Now we have less than two weeks of rest – about 10 days. Then we return to Tallinn and begin preparations for the European Championship. Around 18-20 players will train, and the coaches will determine the final squad," Tupchii said.
The opposite hitter also commented on the match against Poland, emphasizing that, in his opinion, the difference between the two teams was not significant.
"I wouldn't say that they are a class above us or that it was very difficult to play against them. The fight was completely even, and the match was decided by one or two micro-episodes," he stated.
According to Tupchii, Ukraine was close to a comeback in the first set, when they overcame a large deficit and at 23:24 had a chance to equalize, but failed to convert a counter-attack. "If we had converted that ball, we might have won the first set," the Ukrainian national player believes.
According to him, the third set was also decided by individual errors. "We failed to finish one attack, we sent one ball out, and that was enough for them to take the lead. The fourth set was already without chances for us," Tupchii added.
Despite the elimination, the opposite hitter is convinced that Poland is among the main favorites for first place in the final tournament of the Volleyball Nations League.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov