BAKU, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Pool C action at the 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship got underway in Baku on Friday, with co-host Azerbaijan beating Portugal 3-1.
Coached by Faig Garayev, Azerbaijan won 25-22, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20 at the National Gymnastics Arena and will next play Spain on Sunday.
The championship, co-hosted by Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Sweden and the Czech Republic, runs through September 6. It is the fourth consecutive edition to be staged across four countries since the European Volleyball Confederation introduced the multi-host format in 2019. Türkiye will host the final in Istanbul.
Baku is hosting Pool C matches through August 28, featuring Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Romania. ■
