Andorra Women's Volleyball Team Finishes Last in European Small States Championship

Andorra's women's volleyball team concluded the European Small States Championship (Europeu C) at the Pavelló Toni Martí in last place, with no match victories after three group defeats and a 1-3 loss to Liechtenstein in the seventh-place match.

Coached by Lluís Hillaire, the team opened against Ireland on Friday, falling 0-3 with set scores of 20-25, 13-25, and 11-25. Andorra competed with energy and organisation in the first set, pressuring the opponents until the decisive stretch, but Ireland's greater solidity and consistency prevailed from the second set onward.

On Saturday, the Andorrans suffered a second 0-3 defeat to the Faroe Islands, by 6-25, 11-25, and 21-25. The Faroese, who had beaten Ireland 0-3 earlier (16-25, 18-25, 23-25), controlled the match with stronger serving and better command of key moments. Andorra could not build on their debut performance.

In Sunday's match for sixth or seventh place, Andorra took the opening set against Liechtenstein 25-22 after a strong start filled with conviction. Liechtenstein mounted a decisive response, however, winning the next sets 17-25, 19-25, and 15-25 to secure seventh place. That single set marked Andorra's only success in the tournament, despite challenges including limited joint training sessions and physical and technical gaps against most rivals.

In Group B, Scotland won the title with a 3-2 victory over San Marino in the final, decided in a tight tie-break after closely fought sets. San Marino had gone unbeaten in group play with three 3-0 wins, including against Malta (25-20, 22-25, 25-17, 25-12), but fell short in the decider. Scotland also beat Malta 3-1 and Liechtenstein 3-0 (25-7, 25-16, 25-8). The Faroe Islands took bronze, defeating Ireland 3-0 (25-19, 25-10, 25-19) in the third-place match.