England U19 Boys Claim Silver as Girls Battle Bravely at NEVZA Championships

The England U19 boys’ team claimed a hard-fought silver medal this weekend at the NEVZA Championships, hosted by the Faroe Islands, following a thrilling final against Denmark.

Having previously lost to the Danes in the pool stages, England knew they faced a tough challenge in the final. However, confidence was high after a commanding 3-0 victory over Iceland on Saturday.

Both teams started strongly, with England matching Denmark point for point before narrowly losing the opening set 25–23.

The second set proved just as competitive. England looked poised to level the match, but Denmark rallied late to edge the set 25–22. Riding that momentum, the Danes took control in the third set, sealing the gold medal with a 25–19 win.

Despite the result, the England boys can be proud of their performance throughout the tournament. They produced a dominant 3-0 win over Iceland, pushed the hosts, the Faroe Islands, to five sets, and earned their place in the gold medal match with consistent, spirited play.

Maks Makowski and Jelani Conteh both claimed a spot in the NEVZA Team of the Tournament for their respective positions. 

Head coach Sam Shenton said this about the boys' performance:

"The England U20 Men showed real progress this week. The group worked hard away from the court in their preparation, which showed in how they approached every match. Throughout the tournament they maintained a strong “next point” mentality that allowed them to play aggressive, confident volleyball against high-level opposition."

"Despite only coming together as a full selected team twice before the event, the players connected quickly and competed with real unity. To perform and finish where they did against Denmark’s full-time academy setup is something they should be very proud of."

"A big thank you goes to Phil, Andrew, the Volleyball England staff and all the parents for helping make this opportunity possible and giving the team a chance to experience elite international competition."

The England U19 girls displayed great grit and determination throughout the weekend as they faced some strong opposition.

After 3–0 defeats to Iceland, Denmark and the Faroe Islands in the group stage, they prepared to battle for bronze on Sunday against Iceland, hoping to turn the tables after their earlier loss.

England started strongly, taking the first two sets 25–17 and 25–21, and looked on course for a well-earned victory against the team that had previously prevailed over them.

However, Iceland responded in the third set, winning 25–17 to shift the momentum in their favour. The Scandinavian side edged a nail-biting fourth set 26–24, forcing a decider.

The final set was another close contest, but despite a valiant effort, England narrowly missed out on a podium finish as Iceland clinched the win 15–13.

Head coach Alex Chinery said, "I’m really proud of the growth that this group has achieved during our time here. We came into the tournament knowing it would be tough, especially with the great progress the other nations have made in recent years."

"Despite coming up just short, the performance in yesterday’s bronze medal game was the best that this group has ever put in on the court. For that, we can be proud."

Photos - Flogbóltssamband Føroya