Three volleyball players who have played in the Bulgarian championship in the last two seasons have been included in Slovakia's final squad for EuroVolley 2026. Head coach Michal Masny has named his 14 players for the championship of the Old Continent, and among them are Branislav Hanusek, Patrik Lamanec, and Julius Firkaľ.
Middle blocker Branislav Hanusek defended the colors of Beroe during the 2025/26 season. The 210-centimeter Slovak is now continuing his career with Romanian club Universitatea Craiova.
The second well-known figure to the Bulgarian public is opposite hitter Patrik Lamanec, who played for Dea Sport (Burgas) during the 2024/25 season. The 31-year-old, 197-centimeter tall volleyball player will continue his career in Italy in the new season – with Vibo Valentia.
The third is outside hitter Julius Firkaľ, who wore the jersey of Levski Sofia during the 2024/25 season. The 195-centimeter Slovak is also heading to Italy. In the 2026/27 season, he will play for Consoli Sferc Brescia in Serie A2.
Michal Masny's final selection includes two setters, three middle blockers, three opposite hitters, four outside hitters, and two liberos.
Slovakia's squad for EuroVolley 2026:
Setters: Filip Palgut, Peter Bartak
Middle blockers: Daniel Shelong, Andrej Bilich, Branislav Hanusek
Opposite hitters: Erik Gulak, Patrik Lamanec, Patrik Matejcik
Outside hitters: Jakub Ihnat, Julius Firkaľ, Martin Rendla, Filip Makoni
Liberos: Bartolomej Jakubik, Samuel Panko
Compared to the group of 18 volleyball players with whom Slovakia continued its preparation in August, setter Martin Bielka, outside hitters Michal Scherba and Marek Meciar, and middle blocker Jakub Kovac are left out of the final nomination.
Before departing for EuroVolley, the Slovaks will have a final test at a four-team tournament in Tallinn. From September 3 to 5, they will successively face hosts Estonia, Ukraine, and Latvia. Masny has already announced that these 14 volleyball players traveling to Estonia will also represent the country at the European Championship.
Slovakia has been drawn into Group A of EuroVolley 2026, with matches to be played in Modena. Slovakia's opponents are Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sweden, and Greece. The top four teams in the final standings will advance to the round of 16.
The Slovaks begin their participation on September 11 against Slovenia, then face Italy on September 13, the Czech Republic on September 14, Sweden on September 16, and Greece on September 17.
Thus, for Bulgarian volleyball fans, Michal Masny's selection will feature well-known faces – Branislav Hanusek, Patrik Lamanec, and Julius Firkaľ, who have played for Beroe, Dea Sport, and Levski, respectively.