Latvia's volleyball squad heads to Tallinn test tournament without Pinka and Vinšteins
Latvia's men's national volleyball team departed on Wednesday for Estonia to play its final three warm-up matches before this month's European Championship finals. Patriks Pinka is out due to health issues, while Renārs Vinšteins failed to make the cut.
The Latvian men's national volleyball team, coached by Uģis Krastiņš, left for Estonia on Wednesday to play its last pre-tournament test matches ahead of this month's European Championship finals. In Tallinn, the team will face Ukraine — a side Krastiņš previously coached — on Thursday, host nation Estonia on Friday, and Slovakia on Saturday, a team Latvia split results with in last year's qualifiers. All matches start at 16:00.
While Krastiņš had 17 candidates at his disposal the previous week, the squad has since been trimmed to 15 for the Tallinn trip. Patriks Pinka will not be included in the European Championship roster due to health problems, and Renārs Vinšteins has failed to beat out competition for a spot.
Coach and player assessments
Krastiņš said the team's mood is good after a long training block focused on handling high balls and out-of-system plays, skills he expects to be crucial given that upcoming opponents serve powerfully. He singled out Ukraine's strong serving and blocking as qualities that typically put heavy pressure on opponents. Under Krastiņš's guidance, Ukraine twice reached the European Championship quarterfinals and once the World Championship quarterfinals.
Opposite hitter Kristers Dardzāns, one of five squad candidates with experience from the 2021 finals, also welcomed the chance to test the team against strong opposition before the championship. He said the earlier warm-up matches against Denmark showed the team is on the right track, though some details still need fine-tuning, and stressed the need to keep building cohesion and mutual trust.
Final roster decision still pending
Since 15 players traveled to the tournament, coaches will need to decide in Tallinn which one will not make the final championship roster. Krastiņš reiterated that the goal remains giving all candidates playing time against top-level opposition, with the results of the Tallinn matches not being treated as a priority.
The 2026 CEV European Championship finals will take place from September 9 to 26 across Bulgaria, Romania, Finland and Italy. Latvia will play its group stage matches in Cluj-Napoca against Romania, Germany, France, Switzerland and Turkey.
