Four European squads book spots at Volleyball Challenger Cup

With the Final Four weekends in both the women’s and the men’s 2024 CEV Volleyball European Golden Leagues now in history, the finalists of both competitions earned the continental spots at the upcoming Volleyball Challenger Cup tournaments. In Sunday’s women’s final, Sweden outplayed Czechia to top the podium, while Ukraine won the men’s gold medal showdown against Croatia as all four teams qualified for the events in Manila, the Philippines and Linyi, China from July 4 to 7, when at stake will be one spot per gender in the expanded Volleyball Nations League 2025.

Haak hammers 30 in Sunday’s final to lead Sweden to Golden League gold

For the first time in the history of the competition, Sweden won the women’s European Golden League and will compete in the Challenger Cup for the second time, after finishing runners-up to hosts France last year. In the European League final, played at the RT Torax Arena in Ostrava, Czechia, Swedish star opposite Isabelle Haak hammered out 30 points to lead her team to a dramatic 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 18-25, 25-20, 15-11) victory over the home team. Outside hitter Michaela Mlejnkova was Czechia’s best scorer with 22 points to her name. Czechia is set to appear at the Challenger Cup for the third time. Their best result in the competition so far was also a silver finish, back in 2019.

Sweden and Czechia had already secured their spots at the event in Manila by winning their semifinals on Saturday. The northern Europeans persevered through another five-set saga to overcome Belgium by 3-2 (16-25, 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 15-12) with Belgian star Britt Herbots winning the scoring race with Haak by 26-25 in points. Hosts Czechia outlasted Romania in a 3-1 (19-25, 25-13, 25-18, 30-28) four-setter, as opposite Gabriela Orvosova led the team with 17 points, while her Romanian counterpart Elizabet Inneh delivered a 26-point match high.

Belgium took the bronze after a 3-0 (25-14, 25-12, 25-19) sweep of the third-place match against Romania. Ukraine, Spain, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia and Austria, in that order, lined up in the places from fifth to 12^th in the final standings.

Ukraine continue chasing VNL dream

In the men’s European Golden League final, held at the Gradski Vrt hall in Osijek, Ukraine produced a 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 28-26, 25-19) comeback against hosts Croatia, with outside hitter Yevhenii Kisiliuk leading the winners with 19 points, while Croatia’s opposite Petar Dirlic produced a match-high 23. Ukraine won the European League for the second time in history, after their triumph in 2017, and will compete at the Challenger Cup for the second time, after claiming the bronze last year in Qatar. Croatia will make their fourth consecutive Challenger Cup appearance. They won the tournament they hosted in 2022.

To secure their tickets to Linyi, Ukraine achieved a 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-20) shutout of Czechia in one of Saturday’s semifinals, with a 13-point match high from outside Dmytro Yanchuk, while Croatia managed a narrow 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-21, 19-25, 15-13) victory over Estonia, with Dirlic leading the way with 24 points.

Another five-set loss deprived Estonia of a spot on the European League podium. Czechia took the bronze after coming back from a set down twice in the third-place match to celebrate a hard-fought 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 31-33, 27-25, 15-12) victory. The places from fifth to 12^th in the final European Golden League standings were occupied by Belgium, Spain, Finland, Portugal, Romania, North Macedonia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan, in that order.

• Watch Volleyball Challenger Cup 2024 live on VBTV

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