Sweden Dominates Montenegro 3-0 in Spectacular European Volleyball Championship Opener

Sweden launched their campaign at the 2026 Women's Volleyball European Championship with a commanding 3-0 victory over Montenegro in their opening match at Scandinavium in Gothenburg. The home team showcased superior skill, winning sets 25-13, 25-18, and a tightly contested 25-23 in the final set, marking a dream start to the tournament on August 21, 2026.

Star player Isabelle Haak was instrumental in Sweden's triumph, delivering an impressive 30 points and drawing praise from volleyball expert Andréa Jacobsson. Despite the decisive win, Haak reflected on the team's need to find a better rhythm moving forward: "It’s a bit shaky at the end, but all for the audience's sake," she said. The match set a new attendance record for Swedish women's volleyball, attracting 5,261 enthusiastic spectators—surpassing the previous record of 4,020—creating an electrifying atmosphere, as Isabelle Haak described: "It was really amazing to see the sea of fans, it was completely full."

Team captain Anna Haak admitted to feeling the typical nerves of an opening match but expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the home crowd. With the confidence from this win, Sweden is positioned strongly to advance, especially with four of the six teams in their group moving on to the knockout stage. Their next game is scheduled against Slovakia, who suffered a defeat in their opener against France.

The group phase is set to continue until August 27, with Sweden looking to build on their dominant performance in Gothenburg before advancing to the round of 16 in Brno, Czech Republic. As competition intensifies, Isabelle Haak cautioned, "The opposition will only step up, so tomorrow will be even tougher." This match not only highlighted Sweden's current strength but also set optimistic expectations for their progression in the championship.