The Volleyball Federation of Ukraine officially announced the extended squad of 19 players, selected by coach Jakub Głuszak for participation in the Women's Nations League – a tournament that will be a debut in the history of the Ukrainian team. This list includes five volleyball players from the country's champion "Bukovynka", while the remaining players compete in foreign championships.
For the Bulgarian national team, led by Marcello Abbondanza, this selection is directly significant – the "Lionesses" will face Ukraine onJune 21during the second week of the VNL, which will take place in Bangkok.
Preparation with an emphasis on strong European opponents
The Ukrainian Federation also presented a detailed preparation program, including a series of friendly matches and international tournaments:
May 5–21– camp in Blaj (Romania) with friendly matches against the Romanian national team
May 21–25– international tournament in the Netherlands against:
the hosts
France
Germany
Final stage – friendly match against Poland
An interesting detail is that the Netherlands, France, and Germany are among Ukraine's opponents in the Nations League itself, which makes the preparation highly focused.
Key names and absences
Several important storylines are evident in the squad:
Absence:long-serving libero Khrystyna Nemtseva will not play after deciding to take a break
Return:opposite hitter Viktoriia Danchak, one of the stars in the Korean championship, returns after a year-long break
Surprise:a call-up for setter Olena Napalkova, who has not yet played matches for the national team
Debuts:first call-ups received by Kira Lysova, Marta Fedik and Aryna Boiko
Ukraine's squad for VNL (Women)
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Setters | Daryna Sharhorodska | Zhetysu (Kazakhstan) |
| Olena Napalkova | Viesti (Finland) | |
| Stanislava Parfonova | Bukovinka | |
| Opposite Hitters | Viktoriia Danchak | IBK Altos (Korea) |
| Kira Lysova | Bukovinka | |
| Anna Artishuk | Palmberg (Germany) | |
| Outside Hitters | Aleksandra Milenko | Dinamo Bucharest (Romania) |
| Yuliya Dymar | Berel (Kazakhstan) | |
| Valeria Nudga | Olimpiada Neapolis (Cyprus) | |
| Marta Fedyk | Kaposvar (Hungary) | |
| Andriana Pavlyk | Bukovinka | |
| Mariia Kaplanska | Modena (Italy) | |
| Middle Blockers | Svetlana Dorsman | Rzeszów (Poland) |
| Uliana Kotar | Mulhouse (France) | |
| Diana Meliushkina | Beşiktaş (Turkey) | |
| Polina Gerasymchuk | Bukovinka | |
| Kateryna Zhylynska | Radomka (Poland) | |
| Libero | Arina Boyko | Bukovinka |
| Alika Lutsenko | Wrocław (Poland) |
Glushak's selection is clearly oriented towards players with international experience
– over 70% of the team plays outside Ukraine. This implies a higher game tempo and adaptability to different styles, which will be crucial in the VNL. At the same time, the presence of five volleyball players from "Bukovinka" provides some internal chemistry, especially in the reception and defense lines.
The clash on June 21 in Bangkok against Ukraine will be strategically important for Abondanza's team. Debutants often play without pressure, and the presence of players with experience in strong leagues makes the Ukrainian team far from being an underdog.
photo: cev.eu
