Day 1 produced an early upset, three convincing wins in Gothenburg and a strong start for the hosts in Brno. Now Poland and the Netherlands make their tournament debuts, Sweden try to confirm their dark-horse status, and two winless teams meet in one of Saturday’s most important matches.
DAY 2 | 22 August 2026 | All match times below are local to the host city
The second day of Women’s EuroVolley 2026 brings another eight matches across Istanbul, Brno, Baku and Gothenburg, but the context has already changed. Friday gave us the first evidence of how pre-tournament rankings and expectations translate to the court — and the first reminder that they do not always translate cleanly.
Bulgaria provided the biggest surprise of Day 1 by sweeping Ukraine 3-0 in Brno. Serbia opened with a dominant straight-set win over Austria, while hosts Czechia recovered from dropping the second set to defeat Greece 3-1. In Pool D, France, Italy and Sweden all started 3-0, with Sweden’s home win over Montenegro played in front of a new Swedish women’s volleyball attendance record of 5,261 spectators.
Saturday now combines two different types of matches. Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Romania and the Netherlands are making their first appearances of the championship. At the same time, several teams are already playing under pressure after their opening results.
For the broader pre-tournament picture, see our Women’s EuroVolley 2026 Preview. You can also revisit our Day 1 Preview and the Format & Rules guide.
What Day 1 Changed
| Pool | Opening result(s) | Immediate Day 2 impact |
|---|---|---|
| A | Türkiye 3-0 Latvia | Germany, Slovenia, Hungary and Poland now enter the pool; Türkiye already hold three points. |
| B | Serbia 3-0 Austria; Bulgaria 3-0 Ukraine; Czechia 3-1 Greece | Serbia, Bulgaria and Czechia are 1-0; Austria, Ukraine and Greece start Day 2 needing a response. |
| C | Azerbaijan 3-1 Portugal | Belgium, Spain, Romania and the Netherlands make their tournament debuts. |
| D | France 3-0 Slovakia; Italy 3-0 Croatia; Sweden 3-0 Montenegro | Italy and Sweden can move to 2-0; Slovakia and Montenegro are already chasing their first win. |
The most important early shift is in Pool B. Bulgaria were ranked below Ukraine before the tournament but overturned that hierarchy immediately, winning 25-23, 25-23, 25-20. Czechia also handled their first home test, while Serbia looked comfortable enough against Austria to rotate heavily during the match.
Pool D was more predictable, but not without useful information. Italy won 3-0, yet Croatia pushed the second and third sets to 25-22 and 25-23. Ekaterina Antropova scored 21 points, while Sweden’s 3-0 win over Montenegro strengthened the case that their European League form can carry into EuroVolley.
Day 2 Schedule — 22 August 2026
| Local time | Host city | Match | FIVB rank | Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 | Gothenburg | Italy vs Montenegro | #1 vs #47 | D |
| 15:30 | Baku | Belgium vs Spain | #16 vs #30 | C |
| 16:00 | Istanbul | Germany vs Slovenia | #12 vs #19 | A |
| 16:00 | Brno | Ukraine vs Greece | #18 vs #29 | B |
| 18:00 | Gothenburg | Slovakia vs Sweden | #35 vs #21 | D |
| 18:30 | Baku | Romania vs Netherlands | #28 vs #8 | C |
| 19:00 | Istanbul | Hungary vs Poland | #26 vs #5 | A |
| 19:00 | Brno | Austria vs Czechia | #43 vs #14 | B |
All times are local: Istanbul (Türkiye), Brno (Czechia), Baku (Azerbaijan) and Gothenburg (Sweden).
Day 2 at a Glance
| Angle | Match | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Match to Watch | Germany vs Slovenia | A top-20 clash and an early test of Slovenia’s 2026 momentum. |
| Pressure Match | Ukraine vs Greece | Both teams lost on Day 1; one of them will leave Saturday 0-2. |
| Dark Horse Watch | Slovakia vs Sweden | Sweden can turn a promising opening win into a 2-0 start at home. |
| Favorite Watch | Italy vs Montenegro | The world No. 1 team face the tournament debutants after both played Friday. |
| Top-Five Debut | Hungary vs Poland | Poland begin their EuroVolley campaign as the world No. 5 team. |
| Contender Debut | Romania vs Netherlands | The Netherlands start as the highest-ranked team in Pool C. |
| Upset Watch | Belgium vs Spain | Belgium are favored, but the ranking gap is manageable rather than overwhelming. |
| Home Momentum | Austria vs Czechia | Czechia can move to 2-0 in Brno; Austria risk falling to 0-2. |
Italy vs Montenegro — Favorite Meets a Team With No Recovery Time
Italy return to the court less than 24 hours after opening their tournament with a 3-0 win over Croatia. The scoreline was clean, but the match was not completely effortless. After a 25-9 opening set, Croatia pushed Italy much harder in the next two, even leading 23-22 late in the third before the world No. 1 team closed the match.
Antropova’s 21-point performance was the clearest individual headline, and Day 2 may give Julio Velasco an opportunity to manage workloads and test more combinations. Montenegro also played Friday, losing 3-0 to Sweden in their historic EuroVolley debut. Their third set was much more competitive at 25-23, but the turnaround from Sweden to Italy is about as difficult as a debutant could face.
Italy are overwhelming favorites. The more useful question is whether they can make the second match more controlled than the closing stages against Croatia — and how much rotation Velasco is willing to use.
Belgium vs Spain — Pool C Gets Its First Contender Test
Azerbaijan’s 3-1 win over Portugal was the only Pool C match on opening day. Saturday brings the first look at two more teams in the group, with Belgium ranked No. 16 and Spain No. 30.
Belgium should begin as the favorite, but this is not one of the enormous ranking mismatches on the schedule. Spain finished 13th at EuroVolley 2023 and have enough experience to make the match uncomfortable if Belgium start slowly.
For Belgium, a clean win would be valuable before the group becomes more complicated. The Netherlands remain the highest-ranked team in Pool C, and Azerbaijan already have three points, so dropping points in an opening match against Spain would immediately tighten the standings.
Germany vs Slovenia — The Match to Watch
This is arguably the most balanced high-level match of Day 2. Germany are No. 12 in the world and Slovenia No. 19, but Slovenia arrive after one of the best summers in their history. They reached the 2026 European League final after a perfect league phase and will join the VNL in 2027.
Germany have the higher ranking and more established experience at this level, yet Pool A gives both teams a strong reason to treat this as more than a normal opening match. Türkiye already have three points after beating Latvia, Poland are expected to compete for the top two, and the difference between finishing second, third or fourth can matter greatly when Pool A crosses with Pool C in the Round of 16.
A German win would reinforce the pre-tournament hierarchy. A Slovenian win would be the clearest sign yet that their rise through the European League and the world ranking is translating to the biggest continental stage.
Ukraine vs Greece — The First Real Pressure Match
Both teams enter Saturday looking for their first win, which immediately raises the stakes. Ukraine were swept 3-0 by Bulgaria despite holding significant leads in the first two sets. The first set was especially costly: Ukraine led 19-13 before Bulgaria recovered to win 25-23.
Greece also lost their opener, but their 3-1 defeat to Czechia contained more positive moments. They won the second set 25-23 and forced the hosts to work before Czechia closed the fourth.
The ranking still favors Ukraine at No. 18 against Greece at No. 29, but Day 1 makes this matchup more interesting than those numbers suggest. Whichever team loses will fall to 0-2 in a six-team group where Serbia, Bulgaria and Czechia have already started with victories. That would not mean elimination, but it would leave very little margin for error.
Slovakia vs Sweden — Can the Dark Horse Build Momentum?
Sweden’s opening match supported the dark-horse label rather than weakening it. The hosts beat Montenegro 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-23) in front of 5,261 spectators — a new Swedish attendance record for women’s volleyball.
The performance was not perfect, which may actually be encouraging. Montenegro led early in the third set and Sweden had to recover late, while Anna Haak said afterwards that the team could still play much better.
Slovakia now provide a stronger test. They lost 3-0 to France on Friday and are under pressure to avoid a second defeat, but at No. 35 they remain below Sweden at No. 21. If Sweden reach 2-0 before facing Italy on Sunday, the conversation around them will begin to shift from “interesting dark horse” toward a team with a realistic chance of finishing near the top of Pool D.
Romania vs Netherlands — The Dutch Begin Their Medal Push
The Netherlands are the highest-ranked team in Pool C at No. 8 and one of the established contenders just below the main favorites. Their first match comes against Romania, ranked No. 28.
The Dutch enter with recent evidence that they belong in the upper tier: EuroVolley bronze in 2023, sixth place at the 2025 World Championship and a return to the VNL Finals in 2026. That combination makes them a clear favorite here.
Romania’s opportunity is to make the match uncomfortable before the Netherlands settle. Azerbaijan already lead the group after Day 1, so the Dutch will want to establish the expected hierarchy quickly rather than begin the tournament chasing points.
Hungary vs Poland — A Top-Five Team Enters the Tournament
Poland are the highest-profile team making their EuroVolley debut on Saturday. Ranked No. 5 in the world, they have won VNL bronze in three consecutive seasons from 2023 through 2025 and reached the quarterfinals at both Paris 2024 and the 2025 World Championship.
Their 2026 season has been less straightforward, and the EuroVolley roster includes several changes, but Magdalena Stysiak remains one of the central attacking figures. Against No. 26 Hungary, Poland should still be expected to start with a win.
The larger story is what kind of Poland appear. Pool A contains Türkiye, Germany and an improving Slovenia, so a convincing opening performance would immediately ease some of the questions created by missing the 2026 VNL Finals.
Austria vs Czechia — Can the Hosts Go 2-0?
Austria’s return to EuroVolley began with one of the hardest possible assignments, and Serbia punished them 3-0. Czechia had a much better opening night, beating Greece 3-1 and giving the Brno crowd the home result it wanted.
Czechia are No. 14 in the world compared with Austria at No. 43, and this is exactly the kind of match the hosts need to win if they want to turn home advantage into a favorable knockout position. A second victory would move them to 2-0 before Sunday’s much more revealing meeting with Serbia.
For Austria, the target is not only the result but a more sustained performance. They showed competitive stretches against Serbia, particularly in the third set, but another straight-set loss would leave them with a difficult route back into the top four.
What Could Day 2 Change?
Saturday will not decide the qualifiers, but it can create the first real separation inside the pools. In Pool B, a Czechia win would give the hosts a 2-0 start, while the loser of Ukraine–Greece would already be 0-2. In Pool D, Sweden can also move to 2-0 before Sunday’s headline meeting with Italy.
The debuting teams matter just as much. Germany–Slovenia is an early test of the Pool A middle order, while Poland have a chance to make an immediate statement. In Baku, the Netherlands can confirm their status as Pool C favorites, and Belgium can begin the chase after Azerbaijan’s opening victory.
Final Take
Day 2 has fewer obvious championship headliners than the opening day, but it may tell us more about the middle of the tournament. Germany–Slovenia is the best pure matchup on paper, Ukraine–Greece carries the most immediate pressure, and Slovakia–Sweden is the next test of one of the championship’s most interesting dark-horse stories.
Poland and the Netherlands should begin with wins if the pre-tournament hierarchy holds. Italy should also move to 2-0. But Day 1 already showed why rankings alone are not enough: Bulgaria were expected to face a difficult opener and instead swept a higher-ranked Ukraine.
That is the useful frame for Saturday. The favorites will try to make the rankings look accurate. Everyone else has already seen proof that EuroVolley can change the picture in a single afternoon.
Editorial Note
This article is a pre-match snapshot for 22 August 2026 and is not intended as a live tracker. Day 1 results are final results from 21 August; FIVB rankings use the pre-tournament ranking snapshot available before EuroVolley; all Day 2 match times are official local times listed by CEV.
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