Qualification for the 2024 European Championship (women)
Group C (Kinbaum, Germany)
The second round. April 6
Ukraine — Estonia 3-0 (25:21, 25:17, 29:27)
On the second game day of the Euro-2024 qualification, our volleyball players met with Estonians. It is worth noting that the day before in the EEVZA championship, which is the first qualifying stage for the continental championship, the Ukrainians won over their rivals with a score of 3-0. The same fate befell them this time.
As for the start of the match, it was marked by so-called "swings". For example, Artem Dyhtiarenko's team first lost in the score (6:3), and then, due to their own mistakes, allowed the team to reduce the gap to a minimum (7:6).
At the equator of the set, our players began to act more variably in attack. In addition, the serve flew: after one of such successful introductions of the ball by Veronika Tverda, their advantage reached seven points (17:10). The coach of the Estonian team, Marko Matt, reacted with a time-out, but he did not prevent the Ukrainians from triumphing - 25:21.
The first half of the next game also took place in an equal struggle (7:7). Then the blue-yellow team, it would seem, single-handedly seized the initiative. But due to the organized block, the opponents repeatedly returned to the game (15:15). After a 30-second break from Artem Dyhtiarenko, his wards added athletic aggression in the attack and made a rush (4:0), which eventually became decisive — 25:17.
In the third set, the coaching staff of the Ukrainian national team decided to rotate the team, which somewhat slowed down the winning pace of our team. At one point, the representatives of Estonia were leading with a difference of seven points (10:17). At the same time, at the end of the set, Mark Matt's wards had five set balls. However, our morale-willed athletes fought back and, having gained a psychological advantage, pressed their opponents. Kima Zharkova set a spectacular ace point — 29:27.
Starting line-up of the national team of Ukraine U-20: Pavlyk (17), Hrytsyk (13), Starostenko (1), Herasimchuk (6), Tverda (3), Zharkova (12), Prokopova (l), Drapak (l). Substitutes: Rybolovlieva (5), Heiko (k) (1), Nakoskina (1).
