Israel with three setters at EuroVolley, Rura comes from the Japanese elite
Israel's head coach Itamar Stein made an interesting choice when determining the final squad of 14 volleyball players for EuroVolley 2026. The Israelis arrive in Sofia with three setters – Yuval Chanski, Itamar Peleg, and Noam Ariel.
All three are listed as setters in the official CEV database, so Stein's decision to use three of the 14 spots for this position definitely makes an impression.
Israel's final squad for EuroVolley 2026:
Setters:Yuval Chanski, Itamar Peleg, Noam Ariel
Middle blockers:Vyacheslav Bachkala, Nikita Maron, Lior Willy Kopilevich, Dovydas Gribauskas
Outside hitters/Opposites:Iliya Goldrin, Omri Alon, Ilay Haver, Shay Mayo Lieberman, Mark Rura
Liberos:Omri Roitman, Eran Halahmi
There is an important clarification regarding Mark Rura. In the CEV database, he is listed as an outside hitter, but his new club Tokyo Great Bears officially presents him as a volleyball player who can play both as an outside hitter and an opposite. Volleybox, on the other hand, lists him as an opposite for the 2026/27 season. Therefore, Israel cannot in any way be described as a team without a nominal opposite.
The 20-year-old Rura is one of the most interesting names in the Israeli squad. The 207-cm tall volleyball player signed with Tokyo Great Bears for the 2026/27 season after two seasons with the German Helios Grizzlys Giesen. The transfer has been officially confirmed by the Japanese club.
In Tokyo, the Israeli finds himself in extremely serious company. The Great Bears squad includes Polish legend Bartosz Kurek, Slovenian international Jan Kozamernik, Argentinian international Luciano Vicentin, and former Japanese international Masahiro Yanagida.
Rura already has experience in the Champions League. In the 2024/25 season, he played for Giesen in Europe's strongest club tournament. CEV listed him among the German team's players in matches against Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe, and in Istanbul, he even recorded an ace in Giesen's historic first victory in the Champions League group stage.
Another young Israeli talent who is already taking a step towards serious European club volleyball is Shay Lieberman. The 21-year-old outside hitter is part of the French Chaumont squad. This is a club well-known to Bulgarian fans as well – for more than a decade, the team was led by former Bulgarian national coach Silvano Prandi. The Italian specialist took over Chaumont in 2015, and his tenure ended in the 2025/26 season. Under his leadership, the club became French champions in 2017.
Israel arrives in Sofia with a serious dose of self-confidence after a historic achievement. The team qualified for the European Championship on sporting merit for the first time in 50 years. Israel also participated in EuroVolley 2023, but then they were among the hosts of the tournament. Now the quota was won on the court after the dramatic qualification battle with Estonia.
Itamar Stein has already announced the specific goal – a place among the top four in Group "B" and qualification for the round of 16. The coach considers the matches against Portugal and North Macedonia particularly important, and Israel will also look for opportunities against Ukraine. For the matches against Poland and Bulgaria, Stein admits that additional motivation is practically not needed when some of the strongest volleyball players in the world stand against his team.
"We don't feel inferior to anyone, but, of course, we have immense respect for every opponent at this level," Stein said before the start of the tournament.
Israel begins its participation in EuroVolley on September 10 at 7:00 PM against Ukraine in "Arena 8888 Sofia". The official CEV page confirms the date, time, and venue of the match.
Bulgaria will face Israel on September 14 at 7:00 PM in "Arena 8888 Sofia".
Thus, behind Stein's curious decision to include three setters is a squad that features several young volleyball players with an increasingly significant international presence. The most prominent examples are Rura, who has already made a step from the German Bundesliga and the Champions League to the Japanese elite, and Liberman, who continues his development in French Chaumont.
photo: cev.eu
