The Ukrainian U16 national volleyball team has made an excellent start to their EuroVolley 2026 qualification campaign by defeating hosts France 3-1 in their opening match.
Coach Vitaliy Bondar's squad showed great determination in Avignon's Champfleury venue, claiming victory with set scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-15, and 27-25.
Shyshchak stood out as Ukraine's top performer with 16 points, while Merkulov and Y. Koval made significant contributions with 13 and 14 points respectively. For the home side, Chemama led the scoring with 13 points and Laistel-Vilste added 12, but their efforts weren't enough against the Ukrainian youngsters.
Ukraine took control early by winning the first set, before France leveled in the second. However, Bondar's team responded emphatically with a dominant third set and held their nerve in a tightly contested fourth set to secure the match.
According to Statbet, this victory puts Ukraine in a strong position in their qualification group, where Serbia has also made a positive start by defeating Slovakia 3-0 in another group match.
The Ukrainian team will face their next challenge against Serbia on April 25, with the match scheduled to begin at 17:00. Volleyball fans can watch the encounter through online live streaming as the young Ukrainian squad aims to build on their promising start.
