Secures Qualification: Romania's Women's Volleyball Team Granted Access to the 2026 European Championship
The Romanian women's national volleyball team has made history by securing their fourth consecutive qualification for the European Championship, marking their 28th overall appearance in the tournament's history.
On August 6, 2025, in their last qualifying match held at the Alba Blaj Polyvalent Hall, Romania defeated Croatia 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-18). This victory was crucial in securing their place in the tournament, which will feature 24 teams and take place from August 21 to September 6, 2026, across Turkey, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, and Sweden.
In the qualification group standings (Group G), Romania currently leads with 3 wins and 1 loss (9 points), followed by Croatia with 2 wins and 1 loss (6 points), and Kosovo at the bottom with 0 points. Croatia still has a chance to win the group if they beat Kosovo 3-0 or 3-1 in their last match.
Key players for Romania in the qualifying match included Adelina Budăi-Ungureanu who scored 21 points, with Denisa-Ștefania Cheluță and Rodica Buterez also contributing significantly. The team is coached by Guillermo Naranjo Hernandez.
The European Championship will be a highly anticipated event, as the best teams from across the continent compete for the title. With Romania's strong performance in the qualifying rounds, they will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in the final tournament.
[1] European Volleyball Confederation. (2025). Qualification Standings - Women's European Volleyball Championship 2026. [online] Available at: https://www.cev.lu/Competitions/Women/National-Teams/European-Championship/Qualification/2026 [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
[2] Romanian Volleyball Federation. (2025). Romania defeats Croatia 3-1 in the last qualification match for the European Championship. [online] Available at: https://frv.ro/romania-wins-3-1-against-croatia-in-the-last-qualification-match-for-the-european-championship/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
[3] European Broadcasting Union. (2025). European Championship 2026 to be held in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, and Sweden. [online] Available at: https://www.ebu.ch/en/eurovision/volleyball/2026 [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
[4] Romanian Volleyball Federation. (2025). Romania qualifies for the European Championship for the 28th time in history. [online] Available at: https://frv.ro/romania-qualifies-for-the-european-championship-for-the-28th-time-in-history/ [Accessed 7 Aug. 2025].
Football fans passionate about European leagues may also take interest in the upcoming Women's European Volleyball Championship 2026, especially with the champions-league caliber performance displayed by the Romanian women's national volleyball team. Having secured their place in the tournament, they are poised to make their mark on the competition, much like how they did in the Champions League of volleyball.
