The Ukrainian U16 women's national volleyball team pulled off an astonishing comeback in their opening match of the Euro-2026 qualification tournament, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Bulgaria 3-2 in a thrilling encounter.
Facing what seemed like certain defeat after dropping the first two sets 21-25 and 19-25, the Ukrainian squad showed remarkable resilience and fighting spirit. The situation looked particularly dire when they trailed 3-8 and later 9-13 in the decisive fifth set tiebreaker, but the young Ukrainian talents refused to surrender.
Led by Omelai's impressive 26 points, Ukraine steadily found their rhythm, taking the third set 25-18 before claiming a nail-biting fourth set 26-24 to force the decider. Despite reception challenges throughout the match, their superior attacking quality ultimately proved decisive in securing the 16-14 tiebreak victory.
According to Statbet analysis, comeback victories of this magnitude occur in less than 8% of competitive volleyball matches, highlighting the exceptional mental fortitude displayed by these young Ukrainian athletes.
Domashivets and Grinko each contributed 14 points to Ukraine's cause, while Kіshta also added 14 points coming off the bench. For Bulgaria, D. Ivanova led their scoring with 15 points, followed by Pekova and Gоleva with 14 points each.
The match, held at the LSC sport complex in Druskininkai, Lithuania, entertained 189 spectators with its dramatic twists and turns.
Ukraine will continue their qualification campaign tomorrow, April 26th, facing the U16 team from Sakartelo (Georgia) as they look to build on this morale-boosting victory.
