Bulgaria among the top performers at the start of EuroVolley, favorites did not allow surprises

The first day of EuroVolley 2026 for women passed under the sign of the favorites, with Bulgaria also ranking among the teams that started the championship with a clean victory. Our national team defeated Ukraine 3:0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:20) in Brno, while Serbia, France, Italy, Sweden, and European champion Turkey also did not lose a set. The only match on the August 21 program that went to a fourth set was Azerbaijan's 3:1 victory over Portugal.
In Group B in Brno, Serbia started the program with a decisive 3:0 (25:17, 25:9, 25:21) against Austria. Zoran Terzic's team took an 8:1 lead in the first set, and in the second, reached 16:4, achieving an impressive 79% attack efficiency. With a solid lead, Terzic began making changes and gave almost all his players a chance to play. Austria took advantage of this, and in the third set, came close at 13:12, but Serbia regained control and finished the match in three sets.
Bulgaria followed Serbia with a valuable success against Ukraine – 3:0 (25:23, 25:23, 25:20). The start, however, was difficult for Marcelo Abbondanza's team. Ukraine pulled away from 11:10 to 15:10, and later led 19:13. With Alexandra Milanova serving, the Bulgarians began a comeback, tied at 20:20, and a block by Tsvetelina Ilieva brought the first advantage at 21:20. Bulgaria snatched the set 25:23, then won the second with the same score. In the third, the national team already controlled the events and closed the match 25:20. Mikaela Stoyanova was the top scorer with 14 points, and Milanova added 13.
Host Czech Republic finished the program in Brno with a 3:1 (25:14, 23:25, 25:15, 25:20) victory against Greece. The Czechs dominated the first set, but Greece reacted and in the second took a 5:0 lead, and subsequently 21:16. The hosts came close at 20:21, but the Greeks held their lead for 25:23. The Czech Republic responded with a decisive 25:15 in the third set, and in the fourth, pulled away after 4:4 and finished the match. Monika Brancuska was the top scorer with 23 points, while for Greece, Georgia Angelopoulou scored 17.
In Group D in Gothenburg, all three matches ended 3:0. France started with a 3:0 (25:13, 25:21, 25:13) victory against Slovakia in 75 minutes. The French were without their captain Helena Cazaute, but this did not affect their start. Slovakia managed to change the course of the second set after a series of substitutions, but France maintained control and won it 25:21, before dominating again in the third.
Olympic and world champion Italy also started with a clean victory – 3:0 (25:9, 25:22, 25:23) against Croatia. After a crushing 25:9 in the first set, the Croats significantly raised their level. In the second, they forced Italy to call a timeout at 7:10, and the third offered the most serious intrigue. Croatia led 23:22 and was only two points away from a fourth set, but the Italians won the next three rallies and finished the match. Ekaterina Antropova was above all with 21 points and 55% attack efficiency.
There was also a historic evening for Sweden. In front of 5261 spectators at "Scandinavium", the hosts defeated debutant Montenegro 3:0 (25:13, 25:18, 25:23), and the attendance became a new record for a women's volleyball match in the country. The Montenegrins were evenly matched until 8:7 in the first and 8:8 in the second set, before Sweden pulled away. The debutant was closest to winning a set in the third part, when they led 12:7. However, the Swedes erased the deficit, and Hanna Hellvig scored the last two points for 25:23.
In Group C in Baku, host Azerbaijan and Portugal played the most dramatic match of the first day. The Azerbaijanis won 3:1 (25:22, 23:25, 27:25, 25:20), but had to overcome several serious challenges. In the second set, Portugal led 20:16, after which the hosts made a seven-point run for 23:20. The Portuguese responded with five consecutive points and tied the match. Even more dramatic was the third set – Azerbaijan started with 11:1, but Portugal managed to reach 17:17. In overtime, a block by Polina Rahimova brought 27:25 for the hosts, who then closed the match 25:20. Elizaveta Ruban finished with 25 points, Rahimova added 22, and Margarita Stepanenko – 14.
European champion Turkey also did not allow a surprise at the start. In front of 9112 spectators in Istanbul, Daniele Santarelli's team defeated Latvia 3:0 (25:17, 25:16, 25:16). The Latvians returned to the European stage after a 29-year absence and offered good resistance with fast play and long rallies, but the class difference spoke for itself. Especially indicative was the beginning of the second set, when Turkey scored seven consecutive points. Melissa Vargas started the championship with 19 points, and Marta Kamelia Levinska was the top scorer for Latvia with 13.
Thus, on the very first day, some of the main contenders declared their ambitions. Serbia, Italy, Turkey, and France started without losing a set, hosts Sweden and Czech Republic pleased their fans, and Bulgaria took an important three-point victory against a direct rival in Group B. The biggest battle was offered by Azerbaijan and Portugal, and Greece remained the only losing team of the day that managed to win a set.