2020 Boys' U18 Volleyball European Championship
# 2020 Boys' U18 Volleyball European Championship

The 2020 Boys' U18 Volleyball European Championship was the 14th edition of the Boys' Youth European Volleyball Championship, organised by Europe's governing volleyball body, the CEV. Originally, the tournament was scheduled to be hosted jointly by Italy and Greece, but the latter gave up the hosting right. The tournament was held in Lecce and Marsicovetere, Italy from 5 to 13 September 2020. The top six teams of the tournament qualified for the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Boys' U19 World Championship as the CEV representatives.

Players must be born on or after 1 January 2003.

## Qualification

The second round qualification was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the remaining six spots were allocated according to the Men's U18 CEV European Ranking as of 1 June 2019. But, Finland, France, Russia and Slovakia withdrew just before the beginning of the tournament due to travel restrictions still in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Hosts
   * Italy
* Qualified through the first round qualification
   * Czech Republic
   * Finland
   * France
   * Poland
   * Turkey
* Top six ranked teams from the Men's U18 CEV European Ranking as of 1 June 2019 which had not yet qualified
   * Russia
   * Belgium
   * Bulgaria
   * Germany
   * Slovakia
   * Belarus

## Pools composition

Hosts Italy and Czech Republic, the top team from the Men's U18 CEV European Ranking as of 1 June 2019, were directly placed as head of pool I and II respectively. All teams not seeded were placed to five pots as based on their Men's U18 CEV European Ranking as of 1 June 2019 position and drawn accordingly into pool I and II. In case several teams shared the same position, the teams were seeded as per the final standing of the 2018 Boys' U18 European Championship. The draw was held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on 14 August 2020. But, Finland, France, Russia and Slovakia withdrew after the draw. Rankings are shown in brackets except the hosts who ranked 2nd.

| Seeded teams | Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Italy (Hosts) Czech Republic (1) | Russia (3) Turkey (4) | Belgium (5) France (5) | Bulgaria (7) Germany (8) | Slovakia (8) Belarus (10) | Poland (10) Finland (12) |

### Draw

| Pool I | Pool II |
| - | - |
| Italy | Czech Republic |
| Turkey | Russia |
| Belgium | France |
| Bulgaria | Germany |
| Slovakia | Belarus |
| Finland | Poland |

## Venues

* Sport Hall Villa D’Agri, Marsicovetere, Italy – Pool I and 5th–8th places
* Lecce Sport Hall, Lecce, Italy – Pool II and Final four

## Pool standing procedure

* Number of matches won
* Match points
* Sets ratio
* Points ratio
* If the tie continues as per the point ratio between two teams, the priority will be given to the team which won the match between them. When the tie in points ratio is between three or more teams, a new classification of these teams in the terms of points 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be made taking into consideration only the matches in which they were opposed to each other.

Match won 3–0 or 3–1: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match points for the loser Match won 3–2: 2 match points for the winner, 1 match point for the loser

## Preliminary round

* All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00).

### Pool I

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 4.500 | 253 | 221 | 1.145 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Italy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1.600 | 282 | 254 | 1.110 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0.500 | 197 | 219 | 0.900 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| 4 | Turkey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0.222 | 223 | 261 | 0.854 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 5 Sep | 17:00 | Belgium | 0–3 | Bulgaria | 17–25 | 21–25 | 23–25 | | | 61–75 | Report |
| 5 Sep | 20:00 | Italy | 3–2 | Turkey | 28–30 | 16–25 | 25–14 | 25–16 | 15–7 | 109–92 | Report |
| 7 Sep | 17:00 | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Turkey | 25–23 | 25–19 | 25–20 | | | 75–62 | Report |
| 7 Sep | 20:00 | Belgium | 0–3 | Italy | 21–25 | 21–25 | 17–25 | | | 59–75 | Report |
| 9 Sep | 17:00 | Turkey | 0–3 | Belgium | 25–27 | 22–25 | 22–25 | | | 69–77 | Report |
| 9 Sep | 20:00 | Italy | 2–3 | Bulgaria | 25–16 | 13–25 | 24–26 | 25–21 | 11–15 | 98–103 | Report |

### Pool II

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Poland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 9.000 | 249 | 177 | 1.407 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2.000 | 204 | 185 | 1.103 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0.375 | 221 | 255 | 0.867 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| 4 | Belarus | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0.333 | 224 | 281 | 0.797 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 5 Sep | 17:00 | Germany | 3–2 | Belarus | 22–25 | 25–20 | 25–23 | 22–25 | 15–10 | 109–103 | Report |
| 5 Sep | 20:00 | Czech Republic | 0–3 | Poland | 21–25 | 22–25 | 11–25 | | | 54–75 | Report |
| 7 Sep | 17:00 | Poland | 3–0 | Germany | 27–25 | 25–15 | 25–19 | | | 77–59 | Report |
| 7 Sep | 20:00 | Belarus | 0–3 | Czech Republic | 16–25 | 21–25 | 20–25 | | | 57–75 | Report |
| 9 Sep | 17:00 | Poland | 3–1 | Belarus | 25–12 | 22–25 | 25–13 | 25–14 | | 97–64 | Report |
| 9 Sep | 20:00 | Czech Republic | 3–0 | Germany | 25–18 | 25–22 | 25–13 | | | 75–53 | Report |

## Final round

* All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00).

### 5th–8th places

| 5th–8th semifinals | 5th–8th semifinals | 5th place match | 5th place match |
| - | - | - | - |
| 12 September | 12 September |
| Belgium | 3 |
| Belgium | 3 | 13 September | 13 September |
| Belarus | 0 | 13 September | 13 September |
| Belarus | 0 | Belgium | 1 |
| 12 September | 12 September | | Belgium | 1 |
| 12 September | 12 September | Germany | 3 |
| Germany | 3 | Germany | 3 |
| Turkey | 1 | | |
| Turkey | 1 | 7th place match | 7th place match |
| | | 13 September | 13 September |
| | | Belarus | 1 |
| | | Turkey | 3 |

**5th–8th semifinals**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 12 Sep | 17:00 | Belgium | 3–0 | Belarus | 25–19 | 25–21 | 25–18 | | | 75–58 | Report |
| 12 Sep | 20:00 | Germany | 3–1 | Turkey | 24–26 | 26–24 | 27–25 | 25–21 | | 102–96 | Report |

**7th place match**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 13 Sep | 17:00 | Belarus | 1–3 | Turkey | 18–25 | 22–25 | 25–22 | 17–25 | | 82–97 | Report |

**5th place match**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 13 Sep | 20:00 | Belgium | 1–3 | Germany | 25–27 | 20–25 | 27–25 | 15–25 | | 87–102 | Report |

### Final four

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| 12 September | 12 September |
| Bulgaria | 0 |
| Bulgaria | 0 | 13 September | 13 September |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 13 September | 13 September |
| Czech Republic | 3 | Czech Republic | 0 |
| 12 September | 12 September | | Czech Republic | 0 |
| 12 September | 12 September | Italy | 3 |
| Poland | 2 | Italy | 3 |
| Italy | 3 | | |
| Italy | 3 | 3rd place match | 3rd place match |
| | | 13 September | 13 September |
| | | Bulgaria | 1 |
| | | Poland | 3 |

**Semifinals**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 12 Sep | 17:00 | Bulgaria | 0–3 | Czech Republic | 19–25 | 22–25 | 19–25 | | | 60–75 | Report |
| 12 Sep | 20:00 | Poland | 2–3 | Italy | 22–25 | 25–16 | 13–25 | 25–20 | 13–15 | 98–101 | Report |

**3rd place match**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 13 Sep | 17:00 | Bulgaria | 1–3 | Poland | 21–25 | 27–29 | 25–23 | 23–25 | | 96–102 | Report |

**Final**

| Date | Time | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 13 Sep | 20:00 | Czech Republic | 0–3 | Italy | 23–25 | 16–25 | 18–25 | | | 57–75 | Report |

## Final standing

| Rank | Team |
| - | - |
| | Italy |
| | Czech Republic |
| | Poland |
| 4 | Bulgaria |
| 5 | Germany |
| 6 | Belgium |
| 7 | Turkey |
| 8 | Belarus |

* Qualified for the 2021 U19 World Championship
* 2020 Boys' U18 European champions
* Italy 2nd title
* 12–man roster
* Cosimo Balestra, Mattia Boninfante, Gianluca Rossi, Marco Zoratti, Nicolò Volpe, Gabriele Laurenzano, Francesco Quagliozzi, Ranieri Truocchio, Luca Porro, Mattia Orioli, Matteo Staforini (c), Federico Bonacchi
* Head coach
* Vincenzo Fanizza

## Awards

* Most valuable player

    Luca Porro
* Best setter

    Šimon Bryknar
* Best outside spikers

    Luca Porro
    Kamil Szymendera
* Best middle blockers

    Jakub Klajmon
    Mateusz Nowak
* Best opposite spiker

    Georgi Tatarov
* Best libero

    Gabriele Laurenzano
