EuroVolley 2026: perfect start for North Macedonia, Latvia, Denmark and Austria in qualification phase. Estonia and Switzerland ok

Qualification Phase for Eurovolley 2026 started today with first six games of seven Pools.
No problem for North Macedonia, Latvia, Denmark and Austria, who closed their respective duels in straight sets, without major problems.
In Pool F, in what was first game of the day at New Sports Palace in Tbilisi, North Macedonia easily defeat hosts Georgia after just 64 minutes of play, partially 12:25, 14:25 and 18:25, led in score by Aleksandar Ljaftov, top scorer of the match with 14 points to his name through 55% in attack, including 1 ace and 1 block while, interestingly, the most prolific player of Georgia was Aleksi Zakaidze, who left the court with only 6 of 25 points scored by his team!
Something similar happened in Pool G, in which Latvia down hosts Kosovo with the same result, 0-3 (14:25, 19:25, 17:25), with 12 winning blocks (4 for the rivals), 63% in attack (to 44%) and 18 points from an almost perfect Kristaps Smits, top scorer of the game with 76% in attack including 3 aces and 2 blocks, well supported by Gustavs Freimans and Renars Jansons, who added 12 each (5 winning blocks and 88% in attack for the first one).
A clean straight sets win also for Denmark who, in Pool A, surprisingly down Hungary at Budapest’s ÉRD Aréna, 0-3 (13:25, 20:25, 18:25), with 18 points from Mads Kyed Jensen (1 ace, 2 blocks and 68% in attack), and for Austria who, in Pool B, defeated Azerbaijan (25:16, 25:23, 25:14) in front of their home fans at Hartberg’s Stadtwerke Halle, struggling only in second set.
Absolute top scorer of the match, as well as the only player among the winners who left the court in double digit, Paul Buchegger, with 27 points to his name including as many as 9 aces (12 for Austria), 1 block and 68% in attack. Behind him, Alexander Berger with 8 points and Mathäus Jurkovics with 6, while Andrey Melnikov scored 11 points for Azerbaijan, but through only 41% in attack.
A good start in Eurovolley qualifiers also for Estonia who, in Pool D, needed four sets to beat Israel, closing their game with the score of 3-1 (26:24, 25:22, 19:25, 25:18). To make the difference, in addition to be better in decisive moments of the game, including in a hard-fought first set, 10 winning blocks (5 for the rivals), a slightly better performance in attack and four players who left the court in doble digit: Märt Tammearu and Robert Täht, both with 15 points, a great Alex Saaremaa, who added 14 through 71% in attack and 4 winning blocks, and Renee Teppan, with 13. However, the most prolific players of the game were Mark Rura and Iliya Goldrin, authors of 20 and 18 points, respectively, in Israel’s jersey, but they were not enough to push the clash at tie break, like Switzerland who, in Pool E, staged a remarkable comeback at Habo Arena from 2-0 over hosts Sweden.
The game, with lot of ups and downs in both sides, ended with the score of 2-3 (25:15, 25:20, 21:25, 19:25, 11:15) in favor of a team who already made appearance in last edition of European Championship 2023 in Italy!
In this game, Lars Migge scored 18 points for the winners, followed by Misha Von Burg and Julian Weisig, with 15 each.
Tomorrow, on Sunday August 18, Norway will face Montenegro in a game that will close first day of qualifiers.

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🏐| EuroVolley 2026 | Qualification Phase

Saturday, August 17, 2024

POOL F📍New Sports Palace Tbilisi – Small Hall
16.00 (Local Time) | Georgia – North Macedonia 0-3 (12:25, 14:25, 18:25)

POOL G 📍Palestra Sporteve “B.Selishta-Petriti” Gjilan
17.00 (Local Time) | Kosovo – Latvia 0-3 (14:25, 19:25, 17:25)

POOL E 📍Habo Arena
18.05 (Local Time) | Sweden – Switzerland 2-3 (25:15, 25:20, 21:25, 19:25, 11:15)

POOL A 📍ÉRD Aréna Budapest
18.30 (Local Time) | Hungary – Denmark 0-3 (13:25, 20:25, 18:25)

POOL D 📍Kalev Sports Hall Tallinn
19.00 (Local Time) | Estonia – Israel 3-1 (26:24, 25:22, 19:25, 25:18)

POOL B 📍Stadtwerke Halle Hartberg
20.30 (Local Time) | Austria – Azerbaijan 3-0 (25:16, 25:23, 25:14)

🏐| NEXT GAMES

Sunday, August 18, 2024
POOL C📍Sparebanken Sør Amfi Arendal
14.30 (Local Time) | Norway – Montenegro

Wednesday, August 21, 2024
POOL D 📍Nastavno-Sportska Dvorana Gradski Vrt Osijek
18.00 (Local Time) | Croatia – Israel

Saturday, August 24, 2024

POOL D 📍Kalev Sports Hall Tallin
17.00 (Local Time) | Estonia – Croatia

POOL B 📍A.Y.S. Sport Hall Baku
18.00 (Local Time) | Azerbaijan – Belgium

POOL C 📍SC Kolasin
18.00 (Local Time) | Montenegro – Czech Republic

Sunday, August 25, 2024
POOL A📍Lillebeltshallen Middelfart
16.00 (Local Time) | Denmark – Türkiye
POOL E📍Betoncoupe Arena Schönenwerd
17.00 (Local Time) | Switzerland – Spain
POOL G📍Zemgales Olympic Center Jelgava
17.15 (Local Time) | Latvia – Slovakia
POOL F📍SC Jane Sandanski Skopje
20.15 (Local Time) | North Macedonia – Greece

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