The Ukrainian volleyball team achieved a hard-fought victory against the Netherlands in a thrilling match at the beginning of the third week of the Nations League.

The match concluded with a score of 3:2.

The first set began with a series of serves exchanged, with neither team gaining a significant advantage. It was only in the middle of the set that the "blue and yellow" managed to pull slightly ahead, which was enough to clinch the game.

In the second set, the decisive moment came at the start when the Dutch team secured 4 serves in a row to lead (7:3). From that point on, Ukraine could not catch up.

The third set remained evenly contested until the very end. Only at 19:19 did the Netherlands seize the initiative, winning six out of seven rallies, allowing them to take the lead.

The potentially decisive set commenced with the advantage of Raul Lozano's team. Ukraine jumped ahead right from the start, not allowing the opponents to regain control. Ultimately, the game moved into a tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, the captain of the Ukrainian team, Vasyl Tupiich, showcased an outstanding performance, becoming the top scorer in this set. This helped Ukraine secure victory.

However, it should be noted that Ukraine's blocking performance was not at its best – one of the team's strongest attributes. The Netherlands outperformed the "blue and yellow" in successful blocks and served better overall.

Nations League 2025
Group stage, Match 9
July 16

Ukraine – Netherlands 3:2 (25:21, 20:25, 20:25, 26:24, 15:13)

As a reminder, Ukrainians defeated the USA, had an incredible victory over Cuba and Japan, swept Turkey, and overcame Bulgaria, but unfortunately lost to Brazil, Iran, and France.

To advance to the playoffs, the team needs to finish in the top 8. Prior to this match, the Ukrainians were in sixth place. The victory in this game significantly improved Ukraine's chances of reaching the next stage.

For the schedule of the final matches of the first stage, you can check this link.