The first round of the Zonal qualifiers for the U18 Men’s European Volleyball Championship has concluded in Podgorica, with Bulgaria emerging as the tournament winners.
In the final match, Bulgaria defeated Serbia to claim direct qualification for the European Championship. Despite the loss, Serbia advanced to the second round of qualification, where they will continue their campaign for a place at the continental tournament.
Alongside Serbia, the national teams of Türkiye, Montenegro, and Romania also secured progression to the second round of qualifiers and will continue their pursuit of qualification through the next phase of the competition.
Meanwhile, Greece and Kosovo ended their participation in the qualification process after the completion of the first round.
The second round of qualifiers will determine the remaining teams to join Bulgaria at the U18 European Championship.
MONTENEGRO – TÜRKIYE 1:3 (23-25, 25-15, 23-25, 21-25)
BULGARIA – SERBIA 3:1 (25-21, 25-27, 25-23, 25-13)
Bulgaria secured their place in the final with a convincing 3–0 victory over host nation Montenegro in the first semifinal. In the second semifinal, Serbia overcame Türkiye, dropping only one set on their way to the final.
The final match between Bulgaria and Serbia is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00 PM local time. Earlier that day, at 4:00 PM, Montenegro and Türkiye will play the match for third place.
Montenegro took control early against Romania, racing to a 2–0 lead after two highly competitive and exciting sets. That advantage was enough for the hosts to clinch first place in the group, while simultaneously securing Türkiye progression to the semifinals. Even after rotating their lineup, Montenegro maintained their dominance and closed out the match in straight sets, preserving their perfect record.
The final match of the day, and undoubtedly the most captivating one, saw Serbia edge past Bulgaria in a tense encounter that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
