Israel Men’s Volleyball Team Beats North Macedonia, One Win From Euro Qualification

Israel’s men’s volleyball team took a major step toward EuroVolley qualification on Saturday night with a decisive 3-0 win over North Macedonia in the Kosovo-hosted group. The set scores were 25-19, 25-19, 25-14, and Israel controlled the match from the first point, strengthening its position in the tight battle for the top four places in the European League.

Mark Roura led Israel with 20 points, while Shai Lieberman added 16 in a strong all-around performance. Israel also benefited from Sweden’s win over Estonia earlier in the evening, a result that improved its standing in the race for the Final Four and for a place at EuroVolley 2028.

Libero Omri Reutman said, “I am very happy about this European victory. We are happy about the Swedes’ win over the Estonians. We have not finished the job yet, we have a game tomorrow that we come into as clear favorites, but we need to take three points and the main thing is to win. We feel the support from home, and we are happy about this match.”

Coach Itamar Stein also praised the pressure performance but stressed that nothing is secured yet. “Tomorrow we come strong to secure the Final Four and the next European Championship,” he said, adding that Israel must first beat Kosovo to celebrate. The decisive match is scheduled for Sunday at 9:00 p.m., and a win would officially seal qualification, a semifinal berth, and a ticket to the European Championship. In the women’s competition, Israel lost 3-0 to Azerbaijan in its fifth league match and will finish the tournament Sunday against Switzerland.