Power dynamics starting to emerge
As with any major tournament, the second match day of the European Universities Volleyball Championship in Budapest began to reveal the real balance of power—or at least to show which teams still have reserves to draw on. However, beyond competition, the spirit of the game matters too. That’s why Tuesday’s matches brought many moments where, despite defeats, it was clear that participation itself, not just victory, is what counts.
Teams are starting to settle into the venues, and throughout the day, a fantastic atmosphere prevailed both inside and outside the Koltai Jenő Sports Hall. But let’s step inside and see what happened on the court.
The match of the day—and the closest contest—was undoubtedly played by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Unlike the opening day, this time the Catalan team came out on top with a 3:2 victory. After losing a five-setter to Masaryk University, they managed to clinch the final set 15:10 against Turin. Several players put in standout performances, making the win clearly a team effort. As for the Czechs, they seemed a bit fatigued after their opening-day success and suffered a loss to Cologne, who now lead the group.
Women’s Group C:
- Polytechnic University of Catalonia (ESP) – Turin Polytechnic (ITA) 3:2 (25:22, 16:25, 25:23, 22:25, 15:10)
- German Sport University Cologne (GER) – Masaryk University (CZE) 3:1 (15:25, 25:23, 25:20, 25:15)
In Group A, two teams remain undefeated: Ovidius University of Romania and Hungarian University of Sports Science, both playing confidently and securing dominant victories. With these results, both teams have already guaranteed their advancement to the best 8, setting up a group-deciding match.
Women’s Group A:
- Ovidius University (ROU) – University of Cyprus (CYP) 3:0 (25:11, 25:15, 25:17)
- Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUN) – University of Bergen (NOR) 3:0 (25:12, 25:18, 25:20)
In Group B, Corvinus University of Budapest lost an important match in terms of qualification for the knock-out phase. University of Tartu from Estonia came back showing strong coordination and attacking power. University of Bologna claimed a straightforward win over Wageningen.
Women’s Group B:
- Corvinus University of Budapest (HUN) – University of Tartu (EST) 1:3 (25:12, 13:25, 23:25, 18:25)
- University of Bologna (ITA) – University of Wageningen (NED) 3:0 (25:16, 25:15, 25:13)
Women’s Group D:
- University of Zagreb (CRO) – University of Minho (POR) 3:1 (25:16, 25:11, 25:21)
- Yasar University (TUR) – University of Rostock (GER) 3:0 (25:12, 25:16, 26:24)
Regarding men, a key match was played by Hungarian University of Sports Science in Group A. This group is particularly strong, featuring German, French, Portuguese, and Hungarian teams—all competitive sides. After a sensational win by Rostock on day one, the Hungarians faced them next. Though the sets were close, the match ultimately went to the Germans, who won in straight sets. With one round left, qualification is still up for grabs. It will be interesting to see the final group matches, especially since Tours, who lost in five sets on day one, played confidently to edge out Lisbon in a tight match. Julien Faganas was great again, scoring 19 points.
Men’s Group A:
- Hungarian University of Sports Science (HUN) – University of Rostock (GER) 0:3 (22:25, 25:27, 21:25)
- University of Tours (FRA) – Nova University Lisbon (POR) 3:0 (25:22, 28:26, 25:18)
In Group B, Babes-Bolyai University suffered a rare kind of loss: a straight-set defeat where they scored 24 or more points in every set—a testament to how close the match was. Meanwhile, Dresden comfortably beat Zagreb.
Men’s Group B:
- Babes-Bolyai University (ROU) – University of Porto (POR) 0:3 (24:26, 25:27, 24:26)
- University of Zagreb (CRO) – Technical University of Dresden (GER) 0:3 (17:25, 17:25, 9:25)
Men’s Group C:
- University of Valencia (ESP) – Luigj Gurakuqi University (ALB) 3:2 (23:25, 25:16, 21:25, 25:13, 15:8)
Men’s Group D:
- University of West Bohemia (CZE) – University of Bergen (NOR) 3:0 (28:26, 25:12, 25:22)
All results and group standings can be found at:
https://results.eusa.eu/
Full photo gallery available here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eusavolley2025/albums/