Croatia completed a dramatic reverse sweep, Azerbaijan survived Romania in five sets, Ukraine finally won, and several heavy favorites were pushed harder than expected on Day 4.
DAY 4 RESULTS | 24 August 2026
Day 4 of Women’s EuroVolley 2026 looked straightforward on paper, but the matches repeatedly proved otherwise. The Netherlands, Poland and Türkiye all took the expected victories, yet each had uncomfortable stretches against lower-ranked opponents, while two other contests developed into five-set dramas.
Croatia produced the comeback of the day by recovering from 0–2 against Slovakia. Romania also erased a two-set deficit against Azerbaijan, but the hosts responded strongly in the tie-break to remain unbeaten. Ukraine finally collected the three points they desperately needed with a controlled sweep of Austria.
Serbia delivered one of the day’s cleanest performances against Bulgaria, while France moved to three wins from three without dropping a set. With the easier part of their Pool D schedule complete, the French now turn toward the matches against Italy and Sweden that will determine their final position.
For context before the matches, see our Women’s EuroVolley 2026 Day 4 Preview. You can also revisit the Day 3 Results and the full Tournament Preview.
Day 4 Results at a Glance
| Pool | Match | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Netherlands vs Portugal | 3–0 | 25–21, 25–18, 25–23 |
| A | Poland vs Latvia | 3–1 | 25–19, 23–25, 25–22, 26–24 |
| B | Ukraine vs Austria | 3–0 | 25–15, 25–16, 25–12 |
| D | Croatia vs Slovakia | 3–2 | 25–27, 19–25, 25–21, 25–22, 15–11 |
| C | Azerbaijan vs Romania | 3–2 | 25–21, 25–23, 15–25, 22–25, 15–8 |
| A | Türkiye vs Hungary | 3–0 | 26–24, 25–21, 25–14 |
| B | Serbia vs Bulgaria | 3–0 | 25–18, 25–14, 25–20 |
| D | Montenegro vs France | 0–3 | 19–25, 22–25, 17–25 |
Netherlands Sweep Portugal — but Warning Signs Remain
The Netherlands earned the expected 3–0 victory over Portugal — 25–21, 25–18, 25–23 — but the scoreline makes the match look easier than it was. Portugal stayed level deep into the opening set, reaching 21–21 before the Dutch finally won the final four points.
The second set was again close early, with Portugal still 12–11 ahead before the Netherlands produced their strongest run and moved 18–12 in front. The third brought another warning: the Dutch created a comfortable 17–10 advantage, only to lose concentration and allow Portugal to recover all the way to 22–22 before escaping 25–23.
Nicole van de Vosse led the Netherlands with 25 points. Three points and a straight-set result are exactly what the favorites needed, but after being taken to five sets by Romania and twice allowing Portugal back into sets, the Dutch have not yet looked as untouchable as their status in Pool C suggested.
Poland Win — but Latvia Make Them Work for Everything
Poland beat Latvia 3–1, but the match was far more difficult than expected. The favorites led the opening set 13–7 before Latvia recovered and briefly moved 15–14 ahead. Poland rebuilt their advantage late to win 25–19, yet the same instability returned in the second: leads of 15–11 and 21–17 disappeared, and Latvia completed the comeback 25–23.
The third set produced the biggest swing. Latvia raced to a 17–9 advantage and appeared close to moving 2–1 ahead, but this time they were the team that lost control. Poland levelled at 19–19, moved 22–19 in front and closed 25–22. The fourth stayed tight throughout before Poland finally escaped 26–24.
Marta Kamēlija Levinska was the match’s top scorer with 30 points for Latvia. Poland took the expected three points, but repeatedly losing comfortable leads will concern their supporters. Latvia, meanwhile, leave another defeat with their reputation improved after taking a set from Germany and now another from Poland on consecutive days.
Ukraine Finally Deliver the Result They Needed
Ukraine finally produced the result their supporters had been waiting for, sweeping Austria 25–15, 25–16, 25–12. After opening defeats to Bulgaria and Greece, the match had become close to must-win, and this time Ukraine played like the clear favorite from the beginning.
Austria were weaker than Ukraine’s first two opponents, but the important difference was how the match was managed. Ukraine established control before the decisive stage of every set and did not allow the kind of momentum swings that had hurt them earlier in the tournament. Once the gap appeared, it kept growing.
Anna Artyshuk led the way with 21 points, including 14 winning attacks, four blocks and three aces. The three points keep Ukraine alive in the qualification race, although the path remains difficult with Czechia and Serbia still ahead. This was the result they had to take; the harder tests of their recovery come next.
Croatia Complete the Comeback of the Day
Croatia and Slovakia delivered the day’s most dramatic comeback. Slovakia edged a long opening set 27–25 and then took the second 25–19 after pulling away from 9–9. At 2–0, they appeared close to their first victory of the tournament.
Croatia refused to let the match go. The third was still level at 18–18 before the decisive break points went to the Croatian side, who won 25–21. The fourth followed a similar pattern: after 11–11, Croatia created a small advantage and protected it all the way to 25–22, forcing the tie-break.
By then the momentum had completely shifted. Croatia raced to a 6–1 lead in the fifth and held on for 15–11 to complete the reverse sweep. Samanta Fabris scored 27 points for Croatia, while Karin Šunderlíková led the match with 30. Slovakia have now lost consecutive five-set matches — first after coming back from 0–2 against Sweden, and now after surrendering a 2–0 lead themselves.
Azerbaijan Survive Romania After Losing a 2–0 Lead
Azerbaijan remained unbeaten with a 3–2 victory over Romania — 25–21, 25–23, 15–25, 22–25, 15–8 — but this was their toughest test so far. The hosts took the opener after separating from 7–7, then produced a major comeback in the second after Romania had built advantages of 13–7 and 17–12.
Romania responded emphatically. They controlled the third from an early 7–2 lead and won 25–15, then edged a much tighter fourth 25–22 to erase the 0–2 deficit. For the second consecutive match on the Day 4 schedule, a team had forced a fifth set after losing the first two.
This time the reverse sweep did not arrive. Azerbaijan started the tie-break 7–2 ahead and closed it 15–8. Polina Rahimova scored 26 points and Yelizaveta Ruban added 24. Remarkably, the teams finished level at 102 total points each — a perfect illustration of how little separated them outside the decisive moments.
Türkiye Escape an Opening-Set Scare Before Taking Control
Türkiye swept Hungary 26–24, 25–21, 25–14, but the opening set was a genuine cold shower for the favorites. Hungary started 4–1 ahead, traded momentum with the hosts and entered the closing phase with a serious 21–18 advantage.
Türkiye’s class showed at exactly the right moment. They recovered, survived the extended finish and stole the opener 26–24. From there the match became progressively more controlled: the hosts led for almost all of the second set, and although Hungary again started the third 4–1 ahead, Türkiye erased that deficit quickly and pulled away to 25–14.
Melissa Vargas finished with 24 points, including five aces. Hungary showed that a lower-ranked opponent can still punish a slow start, but Türkiye demonstrated the difference between putting a favorite under pressure and actually closing a set. They remain perfect after three matches.
Serbia Rotate and Still Finish Strong
Serbia produced one of the day’s most controlled wins, sweeping Bulgaria 25–18, 25–14, 25–20. The first set was managed from the start, with Bulgaria never able to build even a one-point lead, and the second became a clear 25–14 domination.
With the match firmly under control, Serbia began rotating in the third. Tijana Bošković and Maja Ognjenović started on the bench, and Bulgaria eventually found their best opportunity. They recovered from 6–12 down and moved 20–18 ahead late in the set.
Even the rotated Serbian lineup responded like a top team, winning the final seven points to turn 18–20 into 25–20. Aleksandra Uzelac led the scoring with 18 points. Three wins from three now leave Serbia in a strong position in Pool B, with their only serious difficulty against Bulgaria arriving after the result was already largely under control.
France Stay Perfect Before the Real Tests Begin
France continued their flawless start by beating Montenegro 25–19, 25–22, 25–17. The second set was the closest, but even there the French stayed composed and never allowed the lower-ranked opponent to turn a competitive stretch into a genuine threat.
Cyrielle Depie was again the Best Scorer with 19 points, including 18 winning attacks at 60% efficiency. It is now three matches in a row in which she has led the scoring for France: 15 points against Slovakia, 19 against Croatia and another 19 against Montenegro.
France are now 3–0 without dropping a set and have secured their place in the knockout stage. But the character of their tournament changes from here. The opening three matches came against the lower half of Pool D; the final two are against Italy and hosts Sweden, and those results will determine how high France can finish.
What Day 4 Changed
The favorites won, but several were made uncomfortable. The Netherlands twice needed late answers against Portugal, Poland repeatedly lost useful leads against Latvia, and Türkiye had to recover from 18–21 in the opening set against Hungary.
Azerbaijan’s perfect start is becoming a major Pool C storyline. Beating Portugal and Spain built momentum; surviving Romania after losing a 2–0 lead showed that the hosts can also respond when a match becomes genuinely difficult.
France have completed the first part of their job almost perfectly. Three matches, three straight-set wins and a guaranteed place in the knockout stage leave them free to measure themselves against Italy and Sweden for position.
Croatia are finally on the board. Recovering from 0–2 against Slovakia may prove extremely valuable in the battle for fourth place, while Slovakia now have two points from two consecutive five-set defeats but still no victory.
Ukraine have kept their qualification hopes alive. The 3–0 win over Austria was essential, but the more difficult part of their schedule remains: Czechia and Serbia will provide a much clearer measure of whether the campaign can still be rescued.
Serbia continue to look stable at the top end of Pool B. Even after rotations created a difficult moment in the third set against Bulgaria, they still found a seven-point closing run and moved to three wins from three.
Day 4 by the Numbers
| Statistic | Day 4 |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 8 |
| Five-set matches | 2 |
| Four-set matches | 1 |
| Straight-set wins | 5 |
| Reverse sweeps | 1 — Croatia vs Slovakia |
| Joint top scorers | Marta Kamēlija Levinska & Karin Šunderlíková — 30 points |
| Longest match | Croatia vs Slovakia — 139 minutes |
Final Takeaway
Day 4 ultimately belonged to the favorites, but not always in comfortable fashion. The Netherlands, Poland and Türkiye all won matches they were expected to win, yet each was forced to solve problems created by opponents who entered as clear underdogs.
The deeper drama came in the five-set matches. Croatia completed the day’s only reverse sweep after falling 0–2 behind against Slovakia, while Romania threatened to repeat the feat against Azerbaijan before the hosts dominated the tie-break. Those two matches gave Day 4 the tension that the final results of the biggest favorites did not always show.
Serbia and France were the teams that most convincingly avoided trouble, while Ukraine finally delivered the result they needed. France in particular have completed the easier part of their Pool D schedule perfectly; now Italy and Sweden will show whether their three straight-set wins were only efficient qualification work or evidence of something more ambitious.
Editorial Note
This article combines official CEV match data with VolleyCommunity’s match-flow observations from Day 4. Interpretive comments about momentum, concentration, lineup rotation, turning points and team hierarchy are editorial analysis rather than official CEV assessments.
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