The Ukrainian volleyball team achieved a thrilling victory against the Netherlands at the start 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 lead. Only midway through the set did the "blue and yellow" manage to pull slightly ahead. This advantage was enough to secure the set.

In the second set, the critical moment came at the start when the Dutch team won 4 serves in a row, taking the lead (7:3). From that point onward, Ukraine could not catch up to their opponent.

The third set was tightly contested until the very end. It was only when the score was 19:19 that the Netherlands seized the initiative and won six out of seven rallies, allowing them to take the lead in the match.

The potentially decisive set started with the advantage for Raul Lozano's team. Ukraine immediately took the lead and did not let their opponents seize control, ultimately leading to a tie-break.

In the tie-break, the captain of the Ukrainian team, Vasyl Tupchiy, excelled, becoming the top scorer of the set. This helped Ukraine clinch the crucial victory.

However, it is worth noting that Ukraine's blocking game—one of the team's strongest aspects—did not perform well. The Netherlands outperformed the "blue and yellow" in successful blocks and serves.

Nations League 2025
Group Stage, Match 9
July 16th

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

As a reminder, the Ukrainians defeated the USA, had an incredible win over Cuba and Japan, easily overcame Turkey, beat 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. This victory significantly improved Ukraine's chances of moving to the next stage.

You can find the schedule of the last matches of the first stage here.