Ukraine W vs Serbia W

Set 1 (21-25, 27 min): Ukraine started brightly, leading 8-5 at the first technical timeout and stretching the advantage to 16-12 at the second. Serbia, however, responded with a decisive run. Uzelac took over on the service line as Serbia levelled at 16-16 and surged ahead. A string of Ukrainian errors and consistent Serbian blocking turned a four-point deficit into a 25-21 win. Serbia finished with six blocks in the set alone.

Set 2 (22-25, 25 min): Serbia reversed the script by racing to an 8-7 first-technical lead and extending to 16-11 by the second. Ukraine refused to fold, trimming the deficit to 18-21 late on, but Branka Tica (6 points in the set on 50% attack) and Uzelac (6 points) kept Serbia in control. Serbia closed 25-22 behind three aces in the set.

Set 3 (21-25, 28 min): Ukraine made their strongest start, erupting to an 8-2 lead behind Oleksandra Milenko's aggressive serving run. Serbia steadied, clawing back to 12-12 before taking the lead for the first time at 16-12. Uzelac scored seven points in the decider, including two aces and a block, as Serbia overwhelmed the Ukrainian defence down the stretch. Ukraine saved two match points but a final Uzelac spike sealed the 25-21 win.

Ukraine's 8-2 lead in the third set was their best chance to take a set off Serbia for the first time in three meetings. But Serbia's block adjusted — Mina Popović and Hena Kurtagić combined for two crucial stuffs that turned 10-11 into 14-11 — and a four-point service run from Uzelac erased the deficit completely. Ukraine scored only nine more points in the set after that 8-2 peak.

Aleksandra Uzelac (Serbia) — Player of the Match — 22 points (17 kills at 36%, 3 aces, 2 blocks). The 22-year-old outside hitter was the game's dominant force, scoring seven points in the deciding third set alone.

Oleksandra Milenko (Ukraine) — 18 points (14 kills at 45%, 3 aces, 1 block). The Ukrainian opposite shouldered the heaviest offensive load and was the only Ukraine player to reach double figures.

Branka Tica (Serbia) — 12 points (9 kills at 31%, 3 aces, 0 service errors from 14 attempts). The reserve outside hitter delivered a season-best performance, powering Serbia through the second set.

Anna Artyshuk (Ukraine) — 13 points (10 kills at 30%, 2 blocks). Ukraine's most reliable attacker across the tournament was well contained by the Serbian block.

Serbia's block (13-8) and serve (9 aces to 4) decided the match. Both sides recorded 41 kills, but Serbia's defensive superiority at the net and from the service line generated 22 points from blocks and aces combined compared to Ukraine's 12. Serbia also won 30 break points to Ukraine's 21.

Ukraine's 47% reception positivity was solid but not enough to neutralise Serbia's aggressive serving game. Tica served three aces from 14 attempts with zero errors, while Uzelac added three aces from 12 serves.

The 2,622 spectators at the Pavilion P — the largest crowd of the Pool B phase — witnessed a contest that was tighter than the 3-0 scoreline suggests, decided by Serbia's edge in the high-leverage moments.

Serbia finish Pool B with a perfect 5-0 record (15-0 in sets, 15 points) and advance to the Round of 16 as group winners. Their knockout-stage opponent will be determined after the final group matches across all pools.

Ukraine finish in fifth place with a 1-4 record (3 points), having beaten only Austria in straight sets on 24 August. Their EuroVolley campaign ends at the group stage.

The top four of Pool B — Serbia, Czechia, Greece and Bulgaria — advance to the eightfinals, scheduled for 29–30 August in Brno.

Serbia were in second gear for most of this match and still won comfortably in straight sets. That is the measure of the gap between the three-time European champions and a developing Ukrainian side that showed fight — particularly through Milenko and that early third-set surge — but lacked the firepower and blocking structure to trouble a team of Serbia's calibre. Serbia's depth was on full display, and the block operated at elite level regardless of rotation.