Ukraine's U16 youth volleyball team kicked off their EuroVolley-2026 qualification campaign with an impressive victory over host nation France. On April 24, at the Champfleury sports complex in Avignon, the squad led by coach Vitaly Bondar secured a 3-1 win in their opening qualification match.
The Ukrainian team dominated the first set 25-19 before France bounced back to take the second set 25-22. Ukraine regained control in the third set with a commanding 25-15 performance. The fourth set proved to be the most competitive, with Ukraine ultimately prevailing 27-25 to seal the match.
Shyshchak emerged as Ukraine's top scorer with 16 points, while Kovalov contributed 14 points to the victory. Merkulov added 13 points, and Nedostup chipped in with 11 points in a well-balanced Ukrainian offensive effort. For the French side, Chemama scored 13 points while Laistel-Vilest added 12 in the losing effort.
According to Statbet analysis, youth tournament opening matches often set the tone for teams' qualifying campaigns, with first-match winners advancing to finals in 68% of cases.
Elsewhere in the qualification group, Serbia defeated Slovakia 3-0. Ukraine will face Serbia next, with the match scheduled for April 24 at 17:00 Kyiv time. This contest will be crucial for both teams as they pursue qualification spots for the European championship.
