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Danes down Dutch at European Championships to continue remarkable upswing

Team Denmark celebrates a point during men's volleyball European Championships match against the Netherlands
Team Denmark celebrates a point during men's volleyball European Championships match against the NetherlandsČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Emmi Korhonen

The Danish national volleyball team has experienced a major upswing in recent years, and on Saturday, the men's team secured an impressive victory at the European Championship in Finland defeating the Netherlands in three sets: 25-17, 25-20, 25-20.

Rasmus Mikelsons and Ulrik Dahl delivered several thunderous smashes at crucial moments as the third set reached a tense climax.

The Danes opened their campaign on Thursday with a defeat to the Finnish hosts. The Netherlands, whom they beat on Saturday, are ranked 21st, while the Danes sit 30th.

At the European Championship, Denmark has been drawn into a tough group where they face only higher-ranked opponents.

The three remaining teams in the group are Estonia, Belgium, and Serbia. Advancing from the group requires a top-four finish.

Sports Director Sebastian Mikelsons said before the tournament that advancing from the group would mark the greatest achievement in the history of the Danish national volleyball team.

Last summer, Denmark won a European Championship qualifying pool for the first time—finishing ahead of Turkey, a team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Championship.

In this summer's European League, the Danes won all six league-phase matches. One of those victories was against the Czech Republic, who finished fourth at the World Championship.

Saturday's win is another feather in their cap and boosts their world ranking, putting Denmark in a stronger position ahead of the World Championship qualifiers.

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