Host Romania Aims to Reach Far at EuroVolley 2021

Romania, one of the 4 hosts of the CEV EuroVolley 2021 Women, will do their best with the potential and determination of the team and try to get the good results they have long been waiting for.

Romania’s history of women’s volleyball goes back quite a while. They competed in the CEV Women’s European Championship held for the first time in 1949 and finished the championship in fourth place. Romania, which also participated regularly in the following editions, hosted the tournament in 1955 and again placed fourth.

The following year, Romania reached the final at the World Championships in 1956 and won the silver medal. Finishing third at the tournament, they got their first and only medal in the European Championships, which they hosted again in 1963.

Although Romania is a little far from its previous achievements these days, they aim to regain momentum with the tournament they will host for the third time. Romania, which has managed to participate in six of the last ten EuroVolleys, got credit for their performance and game, especially in 2011 and 2019.

Finishing third in Group C at the 2011 EuroVolley and making it to the playoffs, Romania lost to the host and the champion Serbia and placed ninth. They made it to the Round of 16 in 2019 EuroVolley after finishing fourth in Group C held in Hungary, got eliminated after losing to the last champion Serbia in three sets, and placed 13th in the overall standings.

In the same year, they competed in the 2019 CEV European Silver League, where they finished at the top of Group A and advanced to the final and beat Slovenia in the golden set in the final to win the title. This year, the team competed in the 2021 CEV Golden League, finishing third in Group A and seventh overall.

Led by head coach Luciano Pedulla, the most important name in Romania is Alexia Ioana Carutasu. The 18-year-old young opposite hitter who made a name for herself, especially with her performance this year, became the  CEV Challenge Cup 2021 champions with her team Sistem9 Yeşilyurt. She was also selected the MVP of the tournament and won the unofficial title of “The player who produced the most points in a single match in European Cups” with 47 points she succeded against THY in the epic semi-final battle.

Romania’s team roster mostly has young players, including Carutasu, outside hitter Adelina Budai-Ungureanu, born in 2000, and middle player Francesca Ioana Alupei, born in 2003, continue to make significant contributions to the team.

At the 2021 EuroVolley, Romania will face the last runner-up Turkey, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, and Ukraine, respectively, in Group D, which they will host in Cluj-Napoca.