To reach the League of Nations, Ukraine's national team has methodically climbed the world rankings over three years — back-to-back gold at the Golden Eurovolley in 2023 and 2025, reaching the 1/8 finals of the European Championship, and sixth place among non-qualified teams in World Championship qualification. It was ranking points, not a ticket to a major tournament, that opened the doors to the elite competition. The debut in Quebec is not a coincidence but the result of accumulated work.
How it happened: two sets ahead, two sets back, tiebreak
In the second group stage match, the players of Polish coach Jakub Głuszak led 2:0 after convincing opening sets (25:21, 30:28), but Germany equalized, winning the third and fourth sets (25:14, 25:19). In the decisive fifth set, Ukraine proved more resilient — 15:13.
In the tense five-set clash, Głuszak's charges defeated the German national team.
— Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
The most productive was diagonal Oleksandra Milenko — 22 points. The Prometheus player from Kamiansky, who has regularly played for the national team since 2022, also showed the highest efficiency among Ukrainian attackers in the opening match against the USA.
Important context
Ukraine lost their first tournament match to the USA 0:3 — one of the obvious tournament favorites. This was an honorable defeat: the American team is among the strongest in the world. The victory over Germany, which had already beaten the hosts Canada, is a result of more evenly-matched competition and demonstrates the team's real competitiveness.
- League of Nations 2025 — debut season for Ukraine's women's national team
- Eight best teams from the preliminary round advance to the playoffs
- Last place in the final standings means elimination; the highest-ranked team outside the tournament will replace the outsider
Ironically, Volleyball World has already confirmed Ukraine's participation in the League of Nations — 2026, indicating that the federation views this debut as the beginning of permanent presence at the elite level, not a one-time appearance.
The question is not whether Ukraine can remain in the League of Nations — a spot for next year is already secured. The question is different: if Głuszak's team wins two or three more matches in the preliminary round, will that be enough to reach the playoffs for the first time in history? The answer will come in the next rounds.
