Following the completion of the qualifiers held last weekend, we now know the seven teams that will join host nation the Netherlands for the final round of next year`s #EuroVolleyU22W. This marks the third edition of the continental championship specifically for the U22 age category. The event is scheduled to take place in The Hague in July 2026 and will feature a total of eight teams competing through a pool phase, followed by semifinals and medal matches.
The five victorious teams from each pool – Italy, Ukraine, Poland, Türkiye, and Serbia – have secured their direct qualification. They will be joined by the two best runners-up from across all five pools, which were Spain and Portugal. To ensure fairness in determining the best runners-up, particularly since the qualifier pools varied in size (three to four teams), results from matches against the last-placed teams in the groups of four were excluded. This method allowed for a comparison based on an equal number of matches played.
Italy, Ukraine, and Türkiye demonstrated strong performances, each dropping only one set in their respective groups. Serbia faced a more challenging path in Pool E, securing their top spot with hard-fought victories over Croatia (3-2), Luxembourg (3-0), and host nation Bulgaria (3-1). Poland stood out as the sole pool winner to complete the qualifiers without losing a single set, although their path was slightly eased by the withdrawal of Israel from their competition. Playing on their home court in Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain impressively defeated both Norway and Ireland in straight sets and managed to take one set from Türkiye, earning them the title of best runners-up. Portugal achieved the same feat, qualifying after securing a set against the Pool A winners, Italy.
The upcoming tournament in the Netherlands in 2026 will crown the next U22 women`s European champions. Italy currently boasts a perfect record in this event, having won gold in both the 2022 and 2024 editions.
