Volleyball women's European championship schedule results.

Worst case scenario

We assumed before the start of the championship that it would not be easy for the renewed Russian team to repeat the success of two years ago. Our team made too many mistakes in all matches this season. The leapfrog with the finishers, not started out of good fortune by Konstantin Ushakov, did not solve the reception problems, and matches with rivals whom we previously considered to be of a much lower class were won on character and without any reserve. As a result, we didn’t even get the predictable defeat from the Serbs in the quarterfinals. The Russian team became a victim of the excellent tactician Giovanni Guidetti and his strong Turkish team.

The stars aligned so well that the Russian team played their worst match of the tournament and one of the worst of the season that day. The Russians lost the passing balls wholesale, could not establish a reception, and such a game cannot be pulled off by character alone. The Turkish women felt great in each of the three games, and the always emotional Guidetti called this game of his players the best in the tournament and thanked the team. And yes, Russia was very unlucky in many episodes.

Perhaps the first meeting in the group played a cruel joke on the Russians, where the Turkish women themselves made a lot of mistakes, and their coach could not control his own emotions and was expelled from the site at a critical moment. In addition, Turkey did not lose its game tone during the tournament and played a difficult and useful match of the 1/8 finals against Poland, while the Russians were resting and waiting for their opponents.

In addition to reception and unforced errors, our team had other problems that could not be solved by simply rotating the lineup. Voronkova, who played diagonally all season, was forced to adapt to the role of a finishing player and become a receptionist. Maria Frolova, with a height of 178 cm, was objectively difficult on the block, and when the reception did not work in the first games, her presence on the court lost its meaning. Our team did not have a single player with a stable and powerful serve, capable of performing a couple of aces at the right moment and making a difference in the game.

The heavy workload of Kosheleva and Goncharova allowed their rivals to easily adapt to Russian attacks and at least soften them, while the alternative in the form of the first tempo was used a few times. The mentor also found himself in a losing situation. One way or another, Ushakov will have to answer for the unsatisfactory result, but all season it was not he who played up the composition and tactics, but his senior colleague Vladimir Kuzyutkin, and the Russians did not have any tangible progress from match to match either in the Grand Prix or in the Grand Champion Cup.

All the holes and shortcomings

Of course, this Russian team with all its holes and shortcomings could well have won against Turkey. If only I were lucky. Then lose to Serbia with dignity (or whatever happens) and take bronze on character. But right now we're really better off getting slapped on the head and figuring out where they came from. Russian women's volleyball in recent years has slowly come to the point that our team is no longer considered one of the best in the world. This is still a strong team with good performers, but even the attacking power is no longer the same as in the golden years, and therefore we are no longer favorites even in continental tournaments.

It’s good that all this happened now, at the beginning of the Olympic cycle. Before the World Cup, Ushakov and his players will have another year to correct mistakes and shortcomings and prepare a more competitive team. And most importantly, this time the coach will be free to make personnel decisions. And fully responsible for the result.

And the wife went against her husband. And even won

Although it’s more likely that she didn’t lose. This is the only way to describe Russia’s hardest victory over Ukraine at the start of Euro 2017.

For joy for the country

On September 4, the Russian men's volleyball team crushed the German team in the Euro 2017 finals and regained the title of the strongest on the continent, lost two years earlier. And she brought great joy to the country. After 18 days, our women's team set off on their voyage for the gold of the Old World. Never lost anything yet.

The Germans were beaten, beaten and finished off. Russia won the European Championship

The stunningly dramatic match was reminiscent of the London Olympics final.

Yes, Russian girls came to the Euro as current European champions. Double acting. We came to play in the final, and to win there, of course. We had to start with the weakest opponent in the group - Ukraine, which only qualified for the European Championship through play-offs, and did not play at all in the previous two tournaments. Compared to the Ukrainians, our remaining rivals - Türkiye and Bulgaria - look like volleyball monsters.

5 nuts for Cinderellas. What could prevent Russia from defending its title?

Nigerian hurricane, horses in midstream and the weakest link.

The new head coach of the Russian national team, Konstantin Ushakov, who just a couple of days ago made the planned castling with Vladimir Kuzyutkin, started Koroleva, Goncharova, Frolova, Fetisova, Kosheleva and Pankova. We had only one libero on our roster that day - Tretyakova, and Kryuchkova, who was ill, received a day of rest.

Incredible balls

Two mistakes - Goncharova's serve into touch and an unsuccessful reception - the Russian team started the European Championship with 0:2. In her first attack, Kosheleva fell under the Ukrainian block, but immediately received a chance from Pankova to correct it - 3:3. Only with the score 5:5 did the Russians take the lead for the first time, but they came out like this: Goncharova’s “nail” sent the teams to the first technical break with the score 8:5.

“Be insured, there will be a lot of deceptions. Get the first tempo,” Konstantin Ushakov spent his first “main” coaching time-out very actively. Everything seemed to be clear, but only when the score was 12:10 did Koroleva get a chance to attack with the first tempo and score. The Russians sorely lacked a positive reception, although the Ukrainians’ serves were very far from the adjective “killer”. The second technical break happened with the same three-point difference in the score.

“Don’t take risks with some incredible balls, just win back,” Ushakov didn’t come up with any truths: the Russians came up with an impressive part of the points for themselves. This time the girls heard the coach well: there were fewer mistakes, and the difference in class immediately showed. Goncharova and Kosheleva still attacked, but the quality of their passes improved significantly, and the Ukrainian defense fell apart - 18:25.

No chance of a comeback

The start of the second game seemed to be more confident - 4:1, but then the Russian team lost two points in a row and again allowed the opponent to cling on. Further - more: Goncharova from the second zone hit a block, and this was already the second block of Ukraine in this set - 5:5.

And then everything went downhill for the Ukrainian volleyball players, and everything fell apart for ours. Out of hand. By the second technical break, Russia was already inferior - 13:16, and after the resumption of the game they gave away two more points, forcing their coach to take a time out. Ushakov no longer asked, he demanded that his players play calmer and not fall over the edges. Did not work. Ukraine held a five-point lead, scoring likely and unlikely goals. The Russians had no chance in the end – 20:25.

Personal file of the Filishtinskys

In the third set, our troubles continued: the Ukrainians did not serve forcefully, but even before the first technical break they realized two more aces and took the lead - 8:7. “Watch out for the net balls. Pass them on,” Ushakov radiated exceptional calm. Frolova, having made quite a mistake in the attack, played well on the block and brought Russia ahead – 10:9. Efimova appeared on the front line and also chalked up an effective block – 12:9. We didn’t manage to build on the success, but we didn’t allow us to reduce the gap before the mandatory break – 16:13.

Everything seemed easy, but somehow it suddenly became very difficult: Ushakov was forced to take a time-out when the score was 21:21. After a pause, our second setter Irina Filishtinskaya appeared on the court for the first time, which meant that the wife still went against her husband, because the assistant head coach of the Ukrainian national team was Irina’s husband, Dmitry Filishtinsky. She didn’t stay on the floor for long, but Goncharova’s two points in the end brought Russia a very difficult game – 25:23.

Mistakes, mistakes and more mistakes

5:8 to the first technical of the fourth set – the Russians again created problems for themselves. In addition to the desperately lame technique and the inability to cope with the Ukrainian diagonal Chernukha, who managed to score two dozen points, there were also regular errors in the second gear. Ukraine confidently scored its goals, but we did not always do so. And yet, our block, which caught Molodtsova, allowed us to even the score – 14:14. And then Frolova scored twice in a row from the fourth zone, and for the first time in the set Russia took the lead – 16:15.

“You don’t have to go far. If he scores here, it’s mine. The rest is yours,” Ushakov clearly described all areas of responsibility, and even his own. As a result, Frolova was blocked with a single block - 16:17, and Kosheleva did not hit the court - 17:19. The Russian coaching staff called a timeout, it helped - 19:19, and then 21:20. And again Kosheleva attacked, but this time she blocked, but Goncharova scored - 22:21. Frolova made a serious mistake in receiving a simple serve - 22:23, and then Goncharova failed to reach the floor twice in a row - 23:25.

We didn't lose...

This is how Russia completely unexpectedly lost its first point at Euro 2017. It wasn't a big problem, but defeat would have been. The tiebreaker had to be taken at any cost. For example, the sudden “resurrection” of the video review system, which started working only in the fifth game and just at the moment when the judges did not notice the contact of the block by Ukraine. Instead of 4:6, the score became equal, and then the Russians scored three points in a row, and now it was 8:5 by the time the sides changed.

And now it’s 9:9 and there’s a timeout for Ushakov, who demands a pipe for Goncharova. Natalya didn’t score on her first try, but Pankova returned the ball to her for the second time in the same play – 10:9. Filistinska again came to the end, but the key moment of the set was Pankova’s effective serve, after which the score became 13:10. Kosheleva’s attack brought Russia a double match point, and Goncharova scored the winning goal – 15:13.

As a result, the Russian team still won against Ukraine. Although, most likely, I didn’t lose...

, Guba, Tbilisi

Participants

16 teams will take part in the tournament: 2 host teams (Azerbaijan and Georgia), 5 teams that received tickets based on the results of the previous European Championship (Russia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Turkey and Germany), 6 winners of the second round of the qualifying tournament (Italy, Belgium, Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Belarus), as well as the three winners of the third round of qualification (Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary).

Qualification

29 teams are participating in the qualifying tournament. After the first stage of qualification, 3 teams continued to participate in the tournament. In the second (main) round, 24 teams competed for 6 tickets to the final stage of the championship, which were awarded to the group winners. The teams that took second place in the groups advanced to the final round of qualification, where from October 1 to October 9, 2016 they play play-offs for the three remaining tickets to the final stage of Euro 2017.

1st round

The final match of the group stage of the women's volleyball Euro 2017. Russian national team against Bulgaria. Two teams that have not yet suffered defeats in this tournament must determine the winner of Group C.

Exactly two years ago, on September 26, 2015, Russia and Bulgaria also played each other at the European Championship. In the same group C. The case for the Bulgarians then goes into partial rehabilitation: an incredible 6:25 in the first set, a still dull 14:25 in the second and an almost unbeaten third – 25:27. Bulgaria then suffered two more defeats and took last place in the group.

This time the situation for Ivan Dimitrov's team was completely different. His players were definitely at least second. And at the most - first, you just had to defeat Russia with any score. The current situation played against the Bulgarians: two difficult five-set matches in a row and very little time for recovery.

A small plus of a difficult path

The Russian volleyball players faced the same task, only the day before our team had a rest. The winner of this match received a direct ticket to the quarterfinals, complete with four days off. The loser will face the day after tomorrow in the 1/8 finals with Azerbaijan, Poland or Germany (almost certainly with Germany). True, in this more difficult path there was one inconspicuous, but very interesting plus: Serbia, which at this tournament had already been awarded the title of the main favorite, was guaranteed to remain in the other part of the bracket until the final.

Of course, it’s unlikely that any of the coaches seriously thought about the advisability of a tactical loss. Whoever is there still needs to get to the semi-finals. Filishtinskaya was in the team from the first minutes, Voronkova was in the starting lineup - the coaching staff of the Russian national team was not afraid to experiment and look for options. But the score 4:8 at the first technical time-out was unlikely to please Konstantin Ushakov.

After the break, the Russians won three points in a row, and it seemed that things were getting better, but then Kosheleva and Voronkova hit the block one by one, and Laura Kitipova realized an ace, which was recorded only after watching. This moment, as it turned out, became the key in the first set: later on the Russians could do almost nothing in attack, there was no technique, coaching time-outs did not help, and the lead grew and grew - 10:16, 10:18, 10 :21. And only when the fate of the party was decided, the Russian team started playing volleyball. Pankova replaced Filishtinskaya, Voronkova started serving power, five set points were won back, but this was not enough - 21:25.

Return

But the mood remained. In the opening of the second game, the Bulgarians were swept away - 8:3, and Dimitrov was already trying to find words to shake up his team. After Voronkova’s cool single block, the Russians’ lead reached seven points, and in the next play our volleyball players raised the ball three times in defense, and Voronkova scored again – 14:6.

Is this victory? No matter how it is. 20:19, and only a hard goal scored by Voronkova from the fourth zone helped avoid a draw. He, apparently, broke the looming comeback of Bulgaria, because the Russians brought the game to victory relatively easily, and the very first realized set point was the result of a gross mistake by the opponent - 25:20.

We don't want to play defense

“We want to attack, but we don’t want to play defense,” - Konstantin Ushakov formulated the main problem of the Russian team during the first technical break of the third game. His team was losing 6:8, and the Bulgarian discounts took place over and over again.

But the block worked, three points on which allowed the Russians to lead - 13:9. True, Voronkova immediately failed to lift the ball on the back line, and Goncharova was blocked, but we still left for the second technical break, leading the score - 16:14. Ushakov spent the entire pause tete-a-tete with Goncharova, their dialogue turned out to be very lively. The ending of the set also turned out to be lively, in which, with the score 23:22, we lost two points in a row, and then Voronkova did not hit the court - 23:25.

Weapons that work flawlessly

0:3 at the start of the game, a coaching time-out and Ushakov’s next admonitions on the topic of deceptive shots – do you think this is a problem? No, the problem is 3:8, and not a single sane adjustment for all these plays. After the pause, the Russians began to score points, but mainly through blocks and mistakes by the Bulgarians. No one managed to reach the floor, but at least the gap was reduced – 8:11. And then another discount, which the Russians did not expect, and 14:16 for the second mandatory break.

We evened the score with a block - this weapon worked almost flawlessly in Russia today. Dimitrov took a time out, after which Rabadzhieva attacked into touch, and Kosheleva scored two difficult goals in a row - 22:19. Our team did not lose the advantage it gained – 25:21.

There's definitely character

In the opening two rounds of Group C, three out of four matches ended in five games, so was there any need to be surprised by another tiebreaker? Tretyakova made a mistake in the reception, and Bulgaria led – 4:3, another mistake on our part – and already 6:4, 7:4. And then Ksenia Parubets filed for elimination. Two times in a row - 7:7.

Goncharova’s attack brought Russia ahead for the first time in this set – 11:10. Block by Koroleva and Goncharova on a deceptive strike – 13:11. Parubets fought back from the blockers – 14:13. Koroleva came out to serve for the match... and left the Bulgarians without an attack. Pankova, of course, gave the right to strike to Goncharova, and she from the second zone was impeccable - 15:13.

The Russian team won the second five-set match at this tournament. This time losing in games 1-2. Character is something our team definitely has. And also a block. There is very little left - to want to defend yourself.

Quarterfinals – September 29. The opponent is almost certainly one of the trio Poland, Turkey, Ukraine. We wait.