Italy, Türkiye and Serbia confirmed their status as leading contenders, France and Azerbaijan continued to impress, and Day 3 began to reveal a clearer hierarchy across the four pools.
DAY 3 RESULTS | 23 August 2026
Day 3 of Women’s EuroVolley 2026 was less chaotic than Saturday’s five-set marathon, but it was highly revealing. None of the eight matches reached a tie-break, the leading favorites largely took care of business, and several teams strengthened the impressions they had already created in the opening days.
Italy, Türkiye and Serbia all won important matches against opponents that had reasons to believe they could challenge them. France extended their excellent start with another straight-set victory, while Azerbaijan followed their opening win over Portugal by sweeping Spain in front of the home crowd in Baku.
Greece also collected a valuable three points against Bulgaria, Belgium responded strongly after their difficult opener, and Germany recovered from the shock defeat to Slovenia despite one remarkable collapse in the third set against Latvia.
For context before the matches, see our Women’s EuroVolley 2026 Day 3 Preview. You can also revisit the Day 2 Results and the full Tournament Preview.
Day 3 Results at a Glance
| Pool | Match | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Latvia vs Germany | 1–3 | 15–25, 18–25, 25–13, 15–25 |
| A | Slovenia vs Türkiye | 1–3 | 21–25, 25–22, 17–25, 16–25 |
| B | Greece vs Bulgaria | 3–1 | 25–20, 21–25, 25–18, 25–23 |
| B | Czechia vs Serbia | 1–3 | 19–25, 17–25, 25–16, 17–25 |
| C | Portugal vs Belgium | 0–3 | 16–25, 21–25, 11–25 |
| C | Spain vs Azerbaijan | 0–3 | 16–25, 22–25, 15–25 |
| D | France vs Croatia | 3–0 | 25–16, 25–17, 25–22 |
| D | Sweden vs Italy | 0–3 | 18–25, 23–25, 14–25 |
Belgium Sweep Portugal with Increasing Authority
Belgium left little doubt about their role as favorites against Portugal, winning 25–16, 25–21, 25–11. The first two sets were competitive for stretches, but each time Belgium found the stronger second half of the set and gradually created the separation they needed.
Portugal levelled the first set at 9–9 before Belgium moved away. The second was even closer at 17–17, but four consecutive Belgian points broke the balance. In the third there was no comparable resistance: Belgium took command from the start and turned the final set into a one-sided finish.
Pauline Martin led Belgium with 16 points and Britt Herbots added 14. After needing five sets to beat Spain on Day 2, this was a much more controlled performance and a clear step forward for Belgium in Pool C.
Germany Recover — Apart from One Extraordinary Set
Germany earned their first victory of the tournament by beating Latvia 3–1, and three of the four sets were relatively comfortable. The Germans controlled the first 25–15, the second 25–18 and the fourth 25–15, repeatedly building useful advantages before the closing phase.
The third set, however, looked like it belonged to a different match. Latvia raced ahead 8–4, extended the lead to 16–8 and 21–10, and won 25–13. It was not merely a short German dip: Latvia played their best volleyball of the match and punished Germany decisively.
Germany immediately restored order in the fourth. Leana Grozer and Lina Alsmeier scored 17 points each, although Latvia’s Marta Levinska was the match’s top scorer with 24. The overall result was comfortable enough, but the third set remains one of the strangest individual passages of Day 3.
France Stay Focused and Make It Two Straight-Set Wins
France once again exceeded expectations, beating Croatia 25–16, 25–17, 25–22 and extending their excellent start in Gothenburg. The first two sets were controlled clearly, and Croatia were unable to create the kind of pressure that might have changed the rhythm of the match.
The third set was much closer, but that was also where France showed an important quality: they did not allow a tighter scoreline to become a drop in concentration. Croatia stayed in contact until the closing stages, yet France still finished the match in straight sets.
Cyrielle Depie led the scoring with 19 points, including five blocks. Two 3–0 victories to open the tournament make France one of the early positive surprises of EuroVolley 2026.
Greece Beat Bulgaria and Strengthen Their Qualification Position
Greece claimed an important 3–1 victory over Bulgaria — 25–20, 21–25, 25–18, 25–23 — and continued the momentum created by their five-set win over Ukraine. The result gives Greece another major boost in the battle for the knockout stage.
One pattern ran through much of the match: the team that established the better rhythm in the first half of a set usually found a way to finish it. Greece controlled the opener, Bulgaria answered in the second, and Greece were clearly superior again in the third.
The fourth was the exception in terms of drama. Bulgaria recovered from Greece’s stronger start and even moved 21–20 ahead, but the Greeks responded when the set reached its decisive phase and closed it 25–23. Martha Anthouli scored 19 points, Elpida Tikmanidou 18 and Effrosyni Bakodimou 17. Greece have now followed their opening loss to Czechia with two consecutive wins.
Azerbaijan Make a Statement Against Spain
Azerbaijan produced one of the most convincing performances of Day 3, sweeping Spain 25–16, 25–22, 25–15. This was a matchup that looked relatively balanced on paper, but the hosts were clearly the stronger team on court.
The pattern was almost identical in all three sets. Azerbaijan started better, built an early cushion and then managed the score without giving Spain a genuine chance to reverse the match. The second set was the closest, but even there Azerbaijan remained in control through the decisive stages.
Yelizaveta Ruban finished with 20 points and Polina Rahimova added 14. After also defeating Portugal in their opener, Azerbaijan have two wins from two matches. They should no longer be viewed simply as the hosts of Pool C — they are becoming one of the group’s most interesting teams.
Slovenia Push Türkiye for Two Sets Before the Favorites Take Over
Slovenia managed to stay with Türkiye for the first half of their 1–3 defeat, again showing why they deserve attention as a potential dark horse. They started the opening set strongly and led 7–4, but Türkiye gradually took control and won it 25–21.
Slovenia responded in the second set. They stayed aggressive, created problems from the service line and block, and deservedly won 25–22 to level the match. After the straight-set victory over Germany the day before, taking a set from Türkiye was further evidence that Slovenia can trouble high-level opponents.
From the third set onwards, however, Türkiye raised the level decisively. They won 25–17 and 25–16 and gave Slovenia very little opportunity to reopen the contest. Melissa Vargas led Türkiye with 19 points, while Maša Pucelj scored 17 for Slovenia. Slovenia confirmed their potential, but Türkiye showed the difference between challenging a favorite and sustaining that challenge for an entire match.
Italy End Sweden’s Perfect Start in Straight Sets
Sweden and Italy both entered their meeting with two wins, which made it one of the most attractive matches of the day. In practice, however, even the home crowd in Gothenburg could not help Sweden put Italy under sustained pressure.
Italy won the first set 25–18 and dominated the third 25–14. Sweden’s best stretch came in the second set, where the hosts stayed with the world champions throughout and even led 22–20 in the closing phase. Italy responded like a top team, winning five of the next six points to take the set 25–23.
Ekaterina Antropova led Italy with 18 points, Paola Egonu added 14 and Sarah Fahr 12, including five blocks. Isabelle Haak scored 15 for Sweden. The result was another reminder that Italy can win not only through overwhelming stretches, but also by staying composed when a set finally becomes uncomfortable.
Serbia Win the Key Moments in Brno
Czechia entered the match with Serbia after two victories in Brno and with real hopes of strengthening their position near the top of Pool B. The opening minutes only increased that optimism: the hosts led 4–1, 8–4 and later 13–11 in the first set.
Serbia gradually changed the momentum, took control of the second half of the opener and won 25–19. That comeback seemed to settle them. They began the second set 3–0, then 7–2 and 14–8, and closed it comfortably at 25–17.
Czechia responded impressively in the third, racing to a 6–1 lead and maintaining control all the way to 25–16. The fourth remained balanced until 12–12. Then Serbia sided out and immediately added several break points, turning a level set into a 17–12 advantage. The contest effectively ended during that run, and Serbia finished 25–17. Tijana Bošković was the match’s top scorer with 27 points, while Aleksandra Uzelac added 16.
What Day 3 Changed
The leading favorites are beginning to establish the hierarchy. Italy, Türkiye and Serbia all faced opponents with confidence and ambition, yet each found a way to impose the difference when the matches reached important stages.
France are becoming one of the tournament’s early positive stories. Two straight-set victories and no major drop in concentration have made their start more convincing than many expected.
Azerbaijan can no longer be underestimated. The hosts followed their opening win over Portugal with a dominant 3–0 performance against Spain and now look capable of influencing the top half of Pool C.
Slovenia’s dark-horse status still looks justified. They lost to Türkiye, but competing for two sets and taking one from the favorites reinforced the message sent by their 3–0 win over Germany.
Greece have transformed their position in Pool B. After losing their opener to Czechia, back-to-back wins over Ukraine and Bulgaria have given them real momentum in the qualification race.
Day 3 brought control rather than chaos. Unlike Day 2, no match reached a tie-break. Four ended in straight sets and the other four in four sets, with no major tournament favorite suffering an upset.
Day 3 by the Numbers
| Statistic | Day 3 |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 8 |
| Five-set matches | 0 |
| Four-set matches | 4 |
| Straight-set wins | 4 |
| Top scorer | Tijana Bošković — 27 points |
| Largest set margin | Belgium 25–11 Portugal — 14 points |
| Highest attendance | 6,801 — Sweden vs Italy |
Final Takeaway
Day 2 made the tournament unpredictable; Day 3 made its hierarchy clearer. The biggest favorites generally won, and they did so without allowing matches to reach a fifth set. Italy remained especially convincing, while Türkiye and Serbia responded well when Slovenia and Czechia created periods of genuine resistance.
At the same time, the day strengthened several stories outside the obvious title contenders. France continue to exceed expectations. Azerbaijan now have two wins and look increasingly dangerous at home. Greece have turned an opening defeat into back-to-back victories, while Slovenia showed in defeat that their strong start was not accidental.
There was no single result as shocking as Slovenia’s win over Germany on Day 2, but Day 3 was valuable for a different reason. It began to separate the teams capable of controlling matches from those still searching for stability — and it showed that some of the tournament’s supposed outsiders may be much closer to the leading group than expected.
Editorial Note
This article combines official CEV match data with VolleyCommunity’s match-flow observations from Day 3. Interpretive comments about momentum, concentration, turning points and team hierarchy are editorial analysis rather than official CEV assessments.
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