Hungary and Ukraine are set to compete for the title in the CEV Golden European League after both teams secured victories in their respective semifinal matches on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Semifinal 1: Romania vs Hungary 2:3 (10–25, 25–22, 25–12, 16–25, 15–9)
The Hungarian women`s national volleyball team booked their place in the final by defeating Romania in a thrilling five-set match held in Ängelholm, Sweden. This hard-fought 3-2 victory (10–25, 25–22, 25–12, 16–25, 15–9) marks Hungary`s second win against Romania by the same scoreline in three weeks.
Under the guidance of Italian head coach Alessandro Chiappini, Hungary started slowly, losing the first set decisively. However, they regrouped to claim the second and third sets. Romania responded strongly in the fourth, forcing a decisive fifth set, where Hungary ultimately prevailed 15-9 to reach the final.
Semifinal 2: Ukraine vs Sweden 3:0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-18)
Ukraine advanced to the final with a convincing 3-0 straight-sets victory (25-19, 25-20, 25-18) over defending champions Sweden. Ukraine has a strong history in the tournament, having won it twice previously, including in 2023 when they defeated Sweden in the final. Sweden had taken the title in 2024 and had beaten Ukraine 3-0 earlier in the group stage this season.
In the semifinal clash, Ukraine controlled the first set from the outset. The second set was more competitive, with Sweden briefly taking a significant lead (11-5), but Ukraine mounted a comeback, capitalizing on errors to win the set. Ukraine maintained their momentum to comfortably secure the third set and the match, avenging their earlier group stage loss.
The highly anticipated final between Hungary and Ukraine is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 29, at 19:00 local time.
Gideon Holt