The Portuguese women’s U22 volleyball team faced a tough challenge this past Sunday. They were in Italy, battling for a spot in the European Championship. They played the host nation in Costa Volpino. Italy took the match 3-1, but the scores tell a story of a real fight: 25-23, 23-25, 25-15, and 25-21.
This match wasn’t just about spikes and blocks, though. A real curveball hit in the third set. A huge storm outside cut the power, plunging the arena into darkness. The game stopped completely for nearly two hours. Italy was leading 17-13 at that moment, and the contest had been tight until then. When play finally resumed, Italy looked sharper. They found their rhythm quickly, and Portugal couldn’t quite match their pace afterward.
With this victory, Italy grabbed a direct ticket to the final phase of the championship. They won both their games in Group A. The big tournament will happen in the Netherlands. Portugal ended up second in the group with one win and one loss. The Czech Republic finished last, losing both their matches.
But don’t count Portugal out just yet! There’s still a real chance for them to make it to the finals. They could qualify as one of the two best second-place teams among all five qualification groups. Five groups held qualifier games across Europe. These took place in:
- Italy
- Bulgaria
- Spain
- Slovakia
- Latvia
Now, it’s a waiting game for Portugal, with fingers crossed.