Latvian men's volleyball team draws with Denmark in friendly match

Latvia's men's national volleyball team played its second friendly match against Denmark on Thursday in Riga, this time finishing level at 2-2, with set scores of 25:22, 21:25, 25:22, 21:25. Renars Pauls Jansons led the Latvian scoring with 15 points, followed by Janis Medenis with 13 and Eduards Dudens with ten, four of which came from blocks. For Denmark, Ulrik Dahl top-scored with 21 points.

The day before, on Wednesday, Latvia had lost to Denmark 1-3 across four sets, 17:25, 30:32, 22:25, 27:25.

Preparing for the European Championship

Under head coach Uģis Krastiņš, the team began preparations for the European Championship as early as spring, completing the first stage by finishing 13th in the European Volleyball Confederation's (CEV) European League. Denmark took bronze in that tournament, winning all six of its group-stage matches before losing to Finland in the semifinal. In the world rankings, Denmark currently sits 32nd, while Latvia is 49th.

The Latvian Volleyball Federation reports that all 17 candidates are taking part in the second stage of the current training camp, though competition for a place in the final roster is already noticeable. The team is expected to travel to a test tournament in Tallinn from September 3 to 5 — which will also feature Ukraine, Estonia and Slovakia — with the 14 players who will represent the national team at the European Championship.

This marks the third time Latvia's men's volleyball team has qualified for the European Championship final tournament. The event will run from September 9 to 26 across Bulgaria, Romania, Finland and Italy, with Latvia playing its group-stage matches in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, against the national teams of Romania, Germany, France, Switzerland and Turkey. The medals will be awarded in Milan.