European Volleyball Championship competition

The 2026 European Volleyball Championship features various national teams competing in group stages across multiple host nations.

The Czech Republic men's national team, led by coach Jiří Novák, entered Group A in Modena, Italy. Following a fourth-place finish at the previous year's World Championship, the team prepared to face Greece, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy, and Slovenia with the goal of reaching the knockout rounds.

In Group C, the Serbian men's national team, coached by George Kreku, began their campaign in Tampere, Finland. Serbia opened their tournament with a 3-1 victory over Estonia at the Nokia Arena. After winning the first two sets 25-23 and 26-24, Serbia lost the third set 28-26 before securing the match with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. Lazar Marinović contributed 16 points in his debut.

In the match, Dražen Luburić led the scoring for Serbia with 20 points, followed by Marinović with 16 and Pavle Perić with 15. Estonia’s Mart Tamerau contributed 18 points during the competitive two-and-a-half-hour contest.

Serbia's scheduled Group C opponents include Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, with their next match set against host nation Finland. The tournament also serves as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.