First win for Switzerland, France left Germany no chances and secured first place in Pool D

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Pool D reached its conclusion in Cluj-Napoca with two very different stories. France confirmed their authority by defeating Germany in straight sets to finish first and remain unbeaten, while Switzerland finally turned several competitive performances into their first victory of the tournament, overcoming Latvia 1-3 (22:25, 19:25, 25:16, 22:25).
Switzerland had already shown during the pool stage that they could compete with stronger opponents, but against Latvia they finally found the consistency needed to turn those performances into a result, taking the opening set 25–22 and followed it with an even more convincing 25–19 in the second, putting themselves within one set of victory. Latvia, however, refused to let the match slip away and Uģis Krastiņš’ team raised their level in the third set, putting Switzerland under sustained pressure and reducing the deficit with a 25–16 win.
The fourth set brought another close battle. Latvia pushed for a tie-break, but Switzerland remained composed when the pressure increased and closed the match 25–22.

For Alexander Lengweiler, the ability to handle the unpredictable moments of the match proved decisive: “there were a lot of high-ball situations, a lot of out-of-system situations, and I think we managed them better. We had problems as well, and they made good points, but in the end we were more efficient and made fewer mistakes. I think that was the big difference.”

Switzerland also had an important advantage from the service line, producing five aces and repeatedly disrupting Latvia’s reception. Armands Rokjāns identified that pressure as one of the key differences: “they put a little bit more pressure on us with their aggressive serve. I think that was the reason why we couldn’t make that push together.”

For Latvia, the defeat ended a tournament in which they had nevertheless produced some of the pool’s most notable results. They defeated hosts Romania and took a set from France, while continuing to develop their defensive organisation and team identity: “We improved our defence, that’s for sure. We play more compact and with more variety,” Rokjāns said. “But we play as a team, we lose as a team, and we grow as a team.”

For Switzerland, the victory finally provided the reward their performances had been missing. They had challenged France, taken a set from Germany and remained competitive for long stretches against several opponents. Against Latvia, they managed to turn those moments into a complete performance.

The evening then brought the decisive clash for first place, with France and Germany meeting as the pool’s only remaining unbeaten teams.
France produced one of their most convincing performances of the tournament, defeating Germany 3–0 (25:21, 25:17, 25:19) and taking control from the opening rallies.

Germany, without Moritz Karlitzek until the end of the competition, remained close during the first set, but France were more precise when the points mattered most. Andrea Giani’s team then increased the pressure from the service line, disrupting Germany’s reception and making it increasingly difficult for them to reproduce the level that had carried them through their first four matches.
The second set ended 25–17 before France completed the straight-set victory 25–19.
Théo Faure once again led the French attack with 18 points, including two aces. François Huetz added 12 points and produced four aces, while Mathis Henno also scored 12. France finished the match with nine aces to Germany’s one and attacked at 60% as a team.

“We’re really happy with how we played,” Faure said. “We started really well and put a lot of pressure on serve. We’re happy to win this game and to win first place.”

The result also added another chapter to a growing rivalry. Germany had beaten France in their recent meetings, including during this summer’s VNL, giving the encounter an extra competitive edge.

“France is an opponent that we know pretty well, and they know us pretty well,” Germany’s Simon Torwie said. “There is more than just the normal volleyball competition. There is a lot of pride connected to these games.”

This time, however, France left little doubt about which team had found the higher level.

“The last three or four games we played against France, we beat them, and I think it finally got to a point where they were like, ‘Not today.’ Everyone on that team played amazing. They played exactly what they had to do, so it’s a fair win for them. It hurts, but that’s just how it is,” Torwie added.

For Faure, the memory of those previous encounters had provided extra motivation, but the French team approached the match with a clear objective from the first serve.

“We know that if Germany are confident, they can push a lot on serve and make side-out much more difficult. We wanted to push from the beginning and start already focused.”

France finish the pool stage unbeaten, with five victories and only one set lost. Germany’s first defeat does not change their place among the teams moving into the knockout phase, but France leave Cluj-Napoca with first place and growing momentum.

As Faure put it, however, the pool stage is now history.

“We are happy with how we increased the level every game. Now, in a few days, a new competition starts with the important game coming. Let’s focus on the next one.”

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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | Tuesday, September 15, 2026

POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Greece – Sweden 3-1 (25:23, 25:21, 17:25, 25:20)
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Czech Republic – Italy 1-3 (25:23, 16:25, 20:25, 20:25)

🏐| POOL A STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Italy 12
2. Czech Republic 8
3. Slovenia 6
4. Greece 6
5. Sweden 1
6. Slovakia 0

POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | North Macedonia – Portugal 0-3 (13:25, 20:25, 20:25)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Ukraine 3-0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:22)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

🏐| POOL B STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Poland 12
2. Ukraine 12
3. Bulgaria 9
4. Portugal 4
5. Israel 2
6. North Macedonia 0

POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Denmark 3-1 (19:25, 25:20, 25:19, 25:23)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Finland 2–3 (25:18, 21:25, 26:24, 20:25, 11:15)

🏐| POOL C STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Finland 10
2. Belgium 10
3. Denmark 6
4. Serbia 5
5. Netherlands 2
6. Estonia 0

👉🏼POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Latvia – Switzerland 1-3 (22:25, 19:25, 25:16, 22:25)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | France – Germany 3-0 (25:21, 25:17, 25:19)

🏐| POOL D STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. France 12
2. Germany 11
3. Romania 7
4. Türkiye 3
5. Latvia 3
6. Switzerland 3

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NEXT GAMES: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Sweden – Slovakia
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Czech Republic – Slovenia
POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Israel – North Macedonia
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Bulgaria
POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Denmark – Serbia
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Estonia
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Türkiye – Latvia
• 20.00 (Local Time) | France – Romania

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