Sweden make it two from two at home after Slovakia push them all the way

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/nuDXN7Ba/"]Sweden[/a] were riding high after a record crowd for a women's volleyball match in the country saw them beat Montengro in straight sets in their first Group D match, but a tougher encounter looked in store when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/bLaP0AUJ/"]Slovakia[/a] opened a 4-1 lead in the first set.[/p][p]However, the hosts responded by closing the gap and opening a 13-9 lead of their own, and didn't give up the advantage again to take the first set, 25-23. [b]The Swedes led the second set 14-13 before a 9-1 run put them in control of what eventually became a 25-16 victory.[/b][/p][p]But this time there would be no straight-sets win, as [b]Slovakia turned an 11-10 lead in the third to 17-10, winning the set by dropping 14 points[/b] to end Sweden's run of five successive set wins at the Scandinavium.[/p][embed guid="304a7d81-816a-4467-9b3e-4b6891837433" url="https://x.com/CEVolleyball/status/2091233428423262539" social-type="twitter" /][p]Things went from bad to worse for the home side in a very tight fourth set, where neither side led by more than two points throughout until the very last rally, which the Slovaks took to win 25-22 and set up a deciding set.[/p][p]Needing 15 points to win, [b]Sweden got off to the perfect start, taking a 5-1 lead, and though Slovakia made inroads to make it 9-6, Sweden then took six successive points to claim a 15-6 set win, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/volleyball/slovakia-bLaP0AUJ/sweden-nuDXN7Ba/?mid=tIfz4GBD"]3-2 in the match[/a], as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haak-isabelle/nHNbbJLp/"]Isabelle Haak[/a] top-scored with 38 points.[/b][/p][p]Next up, Sweden take on the other unbeaten side in Group D, pre-tournament favourites [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/WOxNzHzR/"]Italy[/a], who have secured 3-0 wins over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/croatia/QmVQ5KML/"]Croatia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/montenegro/Ac2uNzzE/"]Montenegro[/a] thus far.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/volleyball/europe/european-championships-women/"]Follow the 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]