Aleksandar Nikolov leads the way: the top 20 standout performers of EuroVolley 2026’s Pool Phase!

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The pool phase of the 2026 CEV Men’s European Volleyball Championship has delivered a wide range of individual performances, with players from established contenders and emerging volleyball nations making their presence felt across the tournament.
The numbers highlight not only the leading scorers, but also the specialists whose contributions at the net and from the service line have shaped their teams’ performances.

At the top of the scoring chart stands Aleksandar Nikolov (Bulgaria), who finished the pool phase with 117 points, 18 more than the Netherlands’ Silvester Meijs, who collected 99. Belgium’s Ferre Reggers (96) and Sam Deroo (94) follow, while Israel’s Shay Liberman and Finland’s Luka Marttila share fifth place with 93 points.

Nikolov’s leading position is reinforced by his performance in attack.
With 103 spiking points, he also tops the best spikers ranking, ahead of Shay Liberman (86) and Silvester Meijs (84).
For Liberman, the figures offer another impressive chapter in a tournament in which Israel’s players have competed against some of Europe’s leading volleyball nations. His second-place position among the best spikers and fifth place in total scoring underline his importance as an attacking option.
Finland also features prominently in the scoring charts, with Luka Marttila, Joonas Jokela and other Finnish players appearing among the tournament’s leading offensive contributors.

Belgium’s Martijn Colson leads the best blockers classification with 22 blocks, five more than Denmark’s Rasmus Mikelsons (17). Bulgaria’s Aleks Grozdanov and Estonia’s Alex Saaremaa both recorded 16 blocks, while Latvia’s Gustavs Freimanis and Slovenia’s Jan Kozamernik are also among the leading performers.
The blocking statistics illustrate how central the middle-blocking battle remains in international volleyball. Timing, reading the setter and controlling the net can change the momentum of an entire match, even when those contributions are less visible than a powerful attack.
Italy’s Pardo Mati and Romania’s Bela Bartha each registered 14 blocks, while Switzerland’s Joel Hauck recorded 13.

Ukraine’s Oleh Plotnytskyi leads the best servers ranking with 19 aces, four more than Bulgaria’s Simeon Nikolov, who recorded 15. Finland’s Luka Marttila completes the top three with 14 aces.
Switzerland’s Lars Migge and Slovenia’s Nik Mujanovic each produced 11 aces, while Italy’s Yuri Romano and Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov both registered 10.
Plotnytskyi’s serving performance is particularly notable in a tournament where pressure from the service line can disrupt reception systems and create opportunities for the block-defense structure. His 19 aces place him at the top of this specialist ranking, ahead of a group of players who have also made their mark from the back line.

The statistical leaders of the pool phase offer a snapshot of the tournament’s competitive landscape. Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Nikolov stands out for his combination of total scoring and attacking production, while Plotnytskyi leads the serving charts and Colson sets the pace in blocking.
Meanwhile, players from Israel, Finland, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia and several other national teams appear across the different classifications, demonstrating the variety of individual contributions behind the opening stage.
As EuroVolley 2026 moves into its decisive phase, these figures provide a useful reference point.
However, individual statistics are only part of the story: the knockout rounds will place new demands on every player, with tactical adjustments, pressure situations and the quality of opposition becoming increasingly important.

Top Scorers:

1. Aleksanddar NIKOLOV (Bulgaria) 117 pts.
2. Silvester MEIJS (Netherlands) 99 pts.
3. Ferre REGGERS (Belgium) 96 pts.
4. Sam DEROO (Belgium) 94 pts.
5. Shay LIBERMAN (Israel) 93 pts.
6. Luka MARTTILA (Finland) 93 pts.
7. Nik MUJANOVIC (Slovenia) 91 pts.
8. Cristian-Daniel CHITIGOI (Romania) 90 pts.
9. Joonas JOKELA (Finland) 85 pts.
10. Axel ENLUND (Sweden) 82 pts.
11. Kristaps SMITS (Latvia) 81 pts.
12. Drazen LUBURIC (Serbia) 80 pts.
13. Oleh PLOTNYTSKYI (Ukraine) 79 pts.
14. Yuri ROMANO (Italy) 78 pts.
15. Alexandru RATA (Romania) 79 pts.
16. Märt TAMMEARU (Estonia) 75 pts.
17. Lukas VASINA (Czechia) 72 pts.
18. Oskar Kjerstein MADSEN (Denmark) 71 pts.
19. Théo FAURE (France) 69 pts.
20. Denislav BARDAROV Denislav (Bulgaria) 69 pts.

Best Blockers:

1. Martijn COLSON (Belgium) 22 blocks
2. Rasmus MIKELSONS (Denmark) 17 blocks
3. Aleks GROZDANOV (Bulgaria) 16 blocks
4. Alex SAAREMAA Alex (Estonia) 16 blocks
5. Gustavs FREIMANIS (Latvia) 15 blocks
6. Pardo MATI (Italy) 14 blocks
7. Bela BARTHA (Romania) 14 blocks
8. Jan KOZAMERNIK (Slovenia) 13 blocks
9. Joel HAUCK (Switzerland) 13 blocks
10. Filip SAVOVSKI (North Macedonia) 12 blocks
11. Jacob EKMAN (Sweden) 12 blocks
12. Yurii SEMENIUK (Ukraine) 11 blocks
13. Ahmet TÜMER (Türkiye) 11 blocks
14. Axel ENLUND (Sweden) 11 blocks
15. Severi SAVONSALMI (Finland) 11 blocks
16. Miika HAAPANIEMI (Finland) 11 blocks
17. Bartlomiej LEMANSKI (Poland) 10 blocks
18. Simon MAGNIN (France) 9 blocks
19. Szymon JAKUBISZAK (Poland) 9 blocks
20. Filip CVETICANIN (Portugal) 9 blocks

Best Servers:

1. Oleh PLOTNYTSKYI (Ukraine) 19 aces
2. Simeon NIKOLOV (Bulgaria) 15 aces
3. Luka MARTTILA Luka (Finland) 14 aces
4. Lars MIGGE (Switzerland) 11 aces
5. Nik MUJANOVIC (Slovenia) 11 aces
6. Yuri ROMANO (Italy) 10 aces
7. Aleksandar NIKOLOV (Bulgaria) 10 aces
8. Nooa MARTTILA (Finland) 8 aces
9. Cristian-Daniel CHITIGOI (Romania) 8 aces
10. Johannes TILLE (Germany) 7 aces
11. Oskar Kjerstein MADSEN (Denmark) 7 aces
12. Matous DRAHONOVSKY (Czechia) 7 aces
13. Antonin KLIMES (Czechia) 7 aces
14. Nejc NAJDIC (Slovenia) 6 aces
15. Drazen LUBURIC (Serbia) 6 aces
16. Bartlomiej LEMANSKI (Poland) 6 aces
17. Ulrik Bo DAHL (Denmark) 6 aces
18. Théo FAURE (France) 6 aces
19. Mattia BOTTOLO (Italy) 6 aces
20. Timo Ander LÕHMUS (Estonia) 6 aces

Best Spikers:

1. Aleksandar NIKOLOV (Bulgaria) 103 pts.0
2. Shay LIBERMAN (Israel) 86 pts.
3. Silvester MEIJS (Netherlands) 84 pts.
4. Ferre REGGERS (Belgium) 81 pts.
5. Sam DEROO (Belgium) 81 pts.
6. Joonas JOKELA (Finland) 75 pts.
7. Luka MARTTILA (Finland) 75 pts.
8. Cristian-Daniel CHITIGOI (Romania) 74 pts.
9. Nik MUJANOVIC (Slovenia) 72 pts.
10. Kristaps SMITS (Latvia) 71 pts.
11. Drazen LUBURIC (Serbia) 70 pts.
12. Axel ENLUND (Sweden) 69 pts.
13. Märt TAMMEARU (Estonia) 67 pts.
14. Alexandru RATA (Romania) 66 pts.
15. Lukas VASINA (Czechia) 65 pts.
16. Yuri ROMANO (Italy) 64 pts.
17. Alexandros RAPTIS (Greece) 64 pts.
18. Mark RURA (Israel) 62 pts.
19. Denislav BARDAROV (Bulgaria) 61 pts.
20. Théo FAURE (France) 60 pts.

The pool phase has established the first statistical leaders.
The next challenge is to translate those performances into success when the tournament reaches its defining matches!

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