Pool A Highlights
In the first match of Pool A, the Serbian women’s volleyball team, led by coach Giovanni Guidetti, opened the European Championship with a decisive victory over Ukraine, with set scores of 25-14, 25-19, and 25-16. The team executed well-coordinated plays with ease, confirming Serbia as the clear favorites in this match, which concluded in just 1 hour and 17 minutes of play. Tijana Bošković was the standout player, scoring 22 points.
Meanwhile, Slovenia was convincingly defeated by Poland in three sets, with scores of 19-25, 14-25, and 19-25. Poland began their campaign in Pool A with a powerful display, not allowing Slovenia to reach 20 points in any of the sets. Martyna Łukasik of Poland scored 11 points, a significant contribution to their victory.
Pool B: Intense Battles and Celebrations
Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrated a significant win against Croatia with a score of 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 20-25, 26-24, 15-6). This Balkan derby victory marked a huge step towards the qualification for the round of 16. Notably, Edina Begić scored 14 points for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In contrast, Italy demonstrated its prowess under coach Davide Mazzanti by securing a straight-set win over Switzerland (25-14, 25-19, 25-13). Italy, leading Pool B with 2 victories and 0 sets lost, delighted nearly 4,000 spectators at the Monza Arena. Middle-blocker Marina Lubian celebrated her 100th appearance with an 11-point performance.
Pool C: World’s Number One Makes a Statement
Türkiye, the world’s number one team, opened their EuroVolley 2023 campaign with a straight-set victory over Sweden (25-22, 25-18, 25-13). Sweden showed initial resistance but ultimately could not match the consistent performance of the Turkish team, led by star players Melisa Vargas and Ebrar Karakurt.
Pool D: Dominance and Drama
The Netherlands emerged as the dominant force in Pool D with a 3-0 victory over Slovakia. National team head coach Felix Koslowski opted for a different lineup that proved effective. Nika Daalderop was the top scorer for the Netherlands with 17 points.
In a nail-biting encounter, France secured a tie-break victory over Spain (22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 15-10). Despite the tenacious Spanish team pushing them to the limit, the “Bleues” found the resources to win their second match at EuroVolley 2023.
Pool A
Serbia vs Ukraina 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-16)
Slovenia vs Poland 0-3 (19-25, 14-25, 19-25)
Pool B
Bosnia and herzegovina vs Croatia 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 20-25, 26-24, 15-6)
Italy vs Switzerland 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-13)
Pool C
Türkiye vs Sweden 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-13)
Azerbaijan vs Czechia 3-0 (25-21, 25-10, 25-15)
Pool D
Slovakia vs The Netherlands 0-3 (20-25, 19-25, 19-25)
France vs Spain 3-2 (22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 15-10)
