Belarus suffered a 1-3 defeat against Russia (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 21-25) in their third match of the BVA (Balkan Volleyball Association) qualifiers. This follows their previous results in Sofia, where they fell to Türkiye (0-3) but swept North Macedonia (3-0). Currently sitting on three points, Belarus is officially out of contention for the top spot. The race for first place is now a two-way battle between Russia (9 points) and Bulgaria (8 points) ahead of their head-to-head clash.

Belarus will take on the hosts of the qualifiers on 28 August before battling Serbia on 29 August. The team is set to take its second and final shot at reaching the 2027 European U20 forum in January. Additionally, the Belarus U20 women’s volleyball squad will compete in the final qualification round early next year, having secured a second-place finish in their own qualifying tournament.