Young U18 squads seeking development during NEVZA 2026

Two young squads will travel to host town Ikast with a focus on development ahead of next year's edition of the tournament that will act as European Championship qualifiers. 

Both teams will fly out on Sunday before taking part in a training session, which will help their acclimitisation to the venue. 

The action will then get underway on Monday and continue into Tuesday, with crossover matches following on Wednesday, ahead of the teams travelling back. 

Hosts Denmark are putting in two teams, while Iceland and Sweden will provide the other opposition. 

Men's Head Coach Ryan Murphy has been pleased with the team's preparation, but is keen not to put too much expectation on his teenage talents. 

He said: "As a coaching team we always want as much time working with the athletes as possible, particularly when we are trying to build connections and establish how we want the team to play. 

"With the time we have had together, though, we have been pleased with the progress we have made. 

Our mantra throughout the programme has been to keep as many athletes as possible, in the best environment possible, for as long as possible. That naturally brings some really difficult decisions around selection. 

"As a coaching team, we have tried to look not only at who can perform today, but also at potential, physical profile, positional balance and what each athlete could develop into in the future. 

"We also have to remember that these athletes are between 14 and 16 years old. For us, that means creating an environment where they are supported to be creative, adaptable and confident problem solvers, rather than feeling they have to play perfectly or be afraid of making mistakes. 

"On court, we have tried to be really clear about our identity. With around 1.8 attacks per point being the average at elite level, we are trying to be as efficient as possible when siding out, then assertive in transition when opportunities present themselves. 

"We want to play with a “fearless, not reckless” mindset, recognising opportunities, committing to good decisions and attacking with intent without forcing the game. 

"We have also focused heavily on serving and reception, transition defence and offence, and out of system situations, while challenging the athletes to become more independent, accountable and comfortable solving problems on court. Heading into NEVZA, it is now about being able to execute those things under pressure against international opposition." 

Murphy says he and the team are relishing the chance to don the red and white colours of England. 

"We are hugely excited," he said. "Any opportunity to represent England is a real privilege and something we want the athletes to genuinely appreciate. 

"For a lot of the group, this will be another important step in their international development. Travelling away together, competing against different styles of volleyball and representing the country is a fantastic experience and hopefully one that stays with them for a long time. 

"There is definitely a lot of excitement within the group, but as a coaching team we also want them to understand the responsibility that comes with wearing the England shirt. We want them to represent themselves, their families and the programme in the right way, both on and off the court. 

"At the same time, we want them to enjoy the experience. These are young athletes, and this is a significant stage in their development. We want them to embrace the challenge, be adaptable and have the confidence to express themselves on court." 

Like any team, Murphy would love to see England chalk up victories, but he insists that is not the number one goal. 

"Of course, we want to compete and achieve the best possible result, but success for us is bigger than simply where we finish, " he said. 

"The strength of NEVZA is continuing to grow, and you only need to look at the men’s game to see that. A number of NEVZA nations are performing strongly at senior international level and sitting much higher in the world rankings.  

"That gives a clear indication of the standard of volleyball our younger athletes are being exposed to and the level they can aspire towards. 

"England’s senior men recently gaining ranking points at the Nordic Cup is also really important. It gives younger athletes something tangible to aspire to and shows them where the pathway can lead. 

"For us, success will be seeing the group demonstrate the things we have been working towards throughout the programme. That means playing with confidence, being as efficient as possible when siding out, being assertive in transition, executing our transition defence and offence, managing out of system situations well, sticking to our game plan, responding well to pressure and showing resilience when momentum shifts. 

"If we can leave Denmark knowing we have competed properly in every match, improved throughout the tournament and shown that this group can perform at international level, then we would see that as a successful tournament. 

"We are really proud of the group and the progress they have made so far. As a coaching team, we have asked a lot of them in terms of ownership, accountability and decision making, and they have responded really positively." 

Women's Head Coach Alex Chinery is also eager to see how his young charges can develop once the competition gets underway. 

"I'm really looking forward to it, I feel like we have a really good group," he said. 

"It's a young group that's going and we know very little about the teams that we're playing because it's the first NEVZA of a new cycle... we don't know a huge amount about what Sweden, Denmark and Iceland are going to bring. 

"But I'm really excited to see what we can do. I think this is the group has the best kind of profile for international volleyball that we've seen in a little while on the on the girls' side. 

"There's a lot of the athletes that we're taking that were playing in the U18 Super Series last weekend at 15 or 16-years-old. 

"I'm very excited to see what we can do. I've never been to Denmark as well, so I'm excited to head out there and coach in a new country." 

Chinery says he is hoping to see progression, regardless of the results that come their way. 

He added: "We're trying or we're planning for next year's tournament, as next year is a European qualifier - that's the year that we're targeting with this group. 

"We have some athletes in the group that we're taking that will be too old in a year, but are here to help the next stage and to help bring on the younger players. 

"But obviously, anytime you represent England, it's a really important thing and you want to go and do the best you can do. 

"So we're not really judging ourselves on the results, which is a very easy thing for me to say, even though we clearly are trying our best to win." 

Chinery is hoping that the team that travels to Denmark can start to not only forge strong relationships with one another, but a style and method of play that suits them as a collective. 

"The goal of the pathway is to develop senior, future senior national team players," he said. 

"We want to, we have a style of play that we want to implement and see where we can get to from there.  

"With it being a bit of a transition year, we just don't know what anyone else is bringing and how they're targeting things 

"If we were all on the same page and every nation was trying to do the same thing, then it would be easy to judge ourselves based on the results. But we don't know what their goals are for coming to this event. 

"I'm always excited to go and pull the national team jersey on and coach for England. That's something that's always been there, and that I hope continues for as long as I'm coaching."

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