Russia won its first quota for the final phase of a European Championship after the return of Russian youth national teams to CEV competitions. The U20 women's national team triumphed in the BVA zonal qualification in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), which was also the first round of qualifications for EuroVolley U20 in 2027.
The team led by Alexander Karikov defeated Belarus 3:1 (25:18, 19:25, 25:18, 25:16) in the final. Thus, two teams that in recent years had been excluded from European Confederation competitions reached the decisive match for the first quota from the BVA zone.

Russia went through the tournament with only one loss. It came in the group stage against Turkey with a score of 2:3, but subsequently, the Russian women reached the final and won the direct spot for EuroVolley U20 2027.
The participation of Russia and Belarus and their potential qualification for the finals are explicitly regulated by CEV. In Official Communication No. 2 for EuroVolley U20 2027, the European Confederation refers to a decision by its Board of Administration from May 16, 2026, after which Russia and Belarus were included in the qualification system.
CEV had also foreseen the specific situation that occurred in Mostar. If Russia or Belarus wins the BVA qualification, the winner receives a direct quota, but the best-performing team from the BVA members also qualifies for the finals. Thus, instead of one, the BVA zone receives two direct quotas.
The second of these went to Turkey. The Turkish women finished in third place after defeating Romania 3:0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:18) and, as the best-ranked Balkan team, also secured their participation in the final phase.
This means that Russia and Turkey already have tickets for EuroVolley U20 2027, while Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to the second qualification round. CEV has provided the BVA zone with six spots for this phase in the women's category.
Bulgaria finished in fifth place in Mostar and will have a second chance to reach the European Championship. The second qualification round for women will take place from January 21 to 24, 2027, with the hosts and group compositions to be determined later.
A maximum of 20 teams can participate in the second round, which will be divided into groups with a minimum of three and a maximum of four teams. The winners of the five groups will qualify for EuroVolley, and they will be joined by two or three of the best second-placed teams. The final number of quotas for the second places will be determined after all zonal qualifications are completed. The final phase of EuroVolley U20 2027 for women will be held in Cagliari (Italy) and Cospicua (Malta) from July 8 to 17, 2027. 16 teams will participate in it.

photos: cev.eu