Romania stuns Ukraine and fly to quarterfinals of EuroVolley 2026!
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Romania pulls off a massive upset at CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026, stunning Ukraine in a straight-sets sweep to officially advance to the Quarterfinals: 25:22, 25:21, 30:28.
What an incredible performance in Sofia by Romania to punch their ticket to the Top 8!
At Arena 8888 Sofia, in a contest defined by defensive resilience, pressure from the service line and Ukraine’s costly errors, Sergiu Stancu’s team delivered a composed performance to reach the last eight for the second consecutive European Championship.
Alexandru Rață led Romania’s scoring with 16 points through 55% in attack, while Daniel Chițigoi played a crucial role from the service line, producing decisive runs at key moments as well as 6 of the winners’ 7 aces.
Oleh Plotnytskyi was Ukraine’s top scorer, contributing 15 points through 52% in attack, including two kill blocks and one ace.
Romania capitalised on 28 Ukrainian unforced errors to complete an impressive Round of 16 victory, ending a six-match losing streak against Ukraine in competitive encounters.
The match was also the first meeting between the two nations in EuroVolley history.
Ukraine arrived in Sofia having won two of their previous three Round of 16 matches at the European Championship. Romania, however, were making just their second appearance at this stage, following their breakthrough in 2023, when they defeated Croatia 3–2 in Varna. With another quarterfinal qualification now secured, Romania are continuing a resurgence that began in 2023, when they advanced beyond the European Championship group stage for the first time since 1981.
About the game itself, Ukraine started the opening set with a narrow advantage, leading 3–2 and 7–6, but Romania remained close through disciplined blocking and effective defence-to-attack transitions. The Ukrainians attempted to exploit the central channel, with Dmytro Yanchuk finding greater influence in attack, yet Romania’s front line responded with consistent work at the net to move ahead 14–11. Ukrainian head coach Raúl Lozano called a timeout as his team struggled to contain the Romanian pressure.
Oleh Plotnytskyi emerged from the break with an important contribution, helping Ukraine level the score at 15–15 before their defensive work allowed them to take a 16–15 lead. The set remained tightly contested, with Romania eventually holding an 18–17 advantage. Chițigoi then delivered a crucial service ace to extend the margin to 22–19. Ukraine attempted a late comeback, including an ace from Yurii Semeniuk, but Romania maintained their composure to close the opening set 25–22.
In the second set too, neither team able to establish a decisive advantage during the opening exchanges. Ukraine led 11–9 before Romania drew level at 12–12, and the teams continued to exchange points through 15–15. Romania gradually gained control at 18–17, using their blocking technique to create pressure on Ukrainian attackers and force errors through touches at the net.
Chițigoi once again proved influential from the service line, delivering consecutive aces to give Romania a 21–18 lead and prompt another timeout from Lozano.
Romania continued to apply pressure after the interruption, with Ștefan Lupu contributing a quick attack and a service ace as his team extended their advantage. Romania then secured the second set to move within one set of the quarterfinals.
Ukraine opened the third set with early leads of 2–1 and 6–4, but Romania responded quickly to move ahead 9–7. A powerful Romanian block brought the score to 13–13, setting the stage for a tense closing stretch. Neither side was able to pull away, and Ukraine had opportunities to prolong the match. Romania, however, held their nerve during the decisive exchanges, eventually closing out the set 30–28 to complete the sweep.
“It was a really, really crazy game. We weren’t expecting to win 3-0, for sure. For me it was a hard game, especially in spike so I needed to find other ways to help my team win. Now, we need to focus on Tuesday’s game. It’s lovely playing here in Bulgaria – my last time was in EuroVolley 2023. It feels like my second home here,” said Cristian-Daniel Chitigoi after thengame
“The beginning of the game was very nice. We played very well. We really liked the place, the venue, and the organisation. Of course, we had much higher expectations, but unfortunately, we didn’t play well today. So, with this, we finish our journey here,” added Ukraine’s outside hitter Tymofii Poluian.
Romania’s victory confirms their place among the eight remaining teams at EuroVolley 2026 and adds another significant chapter to the national team’s recent progress on the European stage.
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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | ROUND OF 16
Saturday September 19, 2026
📍Arena 8888 Sofia
•16.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Latvia 3-0 (25:17, 25:16, 25:16)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Germany – Bulgaria 3-2 (21:25, 21:25, 25:19, 25:23, 15:12)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
Sunday September 20, 2026
📍Palavela Torino
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Finland – Greece 3-2 (22:25, 25:16, 22:25, 25:23, 15:13)
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Italy – Denmark 3–0 (25:22, 25:16, 25:11)
📍Arena 8888 Sofia
👉🏼 16.00 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Romania 0-3 (22:25, 21:25, 28:30)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | France – Portugal 3-0 (25:21, 25:22, 25:21)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
Monday September 21, 2026
📍Palavela Torino
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Czech Republic
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Serbia
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