Estonia beat hosts Finland 3-2: Lohmus shines, Finland lose top spot in Pool C at EuroVolley 2026

When the final ball of the fifth set hit the floor at Nokia Arena with the score at 15-11, Pool C of the 2026 European Men's Volleyball Championship produced an ending that host nation Finland had not expected. Estonia, a team with only one tournament victory before this match, beat Finland 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11) in Tampere. The win did not send Estonia into the knockout stage, but it changed the top of Pool C: Finland dropped to second place behind Belgium and will now face Greece in the round of 16. Earlier that day, Belgium had secured first place in the group by sweeping Serbia 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-16). That result put pressure on Finland, who needed a win over Estonia to reclaim top spot or at least gain a share of the lead. However, Estonia held on for five sets in front of 9,813 fans. Final Pool C standings showed Belgium on 13 points, Finland on 11, Serbia and Denmark on 7, Estonia on 5 and Netherlands on 2. Finland won the opening set 25-22 behind the Marttila brothers and Joonas Jokela, who found consistent openings against Estonia's defence. Estonia answered in the second set, with opposite Timo Andre Lohmus helping open a 16-11 lead before closing it out 25-21. Estonia carried that momentum into the third set. Luka Marttila ripped off three straight aces to tie the set at 19-19, but Lohmus delivered a decisive block for a 22-20 lead, and Estonia won 25-22. Finland refused to fold. Substitute Niko Suihkonen, who replaced Nooa Marttila, scored seven points as the hosts forced a fifth set with a 25-20 win in the fourth. Estonia settled the tie-break 15-11. One notable detail came from the post-match statistics. Volleytimes.com credited Lohmus with 24 points and Teppan with 16, while WorldofVolley credited Teppan with 24 and Lohmus with 16. The discrepancy is a reminder to cross-check sources, but both outlets confirmed that Estonia had two main attacking weapons working well. Lohmus said afterwards that Estonia wanted badly to win again in front of the crowd, gave everything it had and that he was proud of his team. Finland captain Antti Ronkainen admitted Estonia played well and wanted the fifth set, adding that Finland now turns its attention to its next opponent. Also, Joonas Jokela made his 100th appearance for Finland, and Olivia Kunnari, niece of head coach Olli Kunnari, sang the national anthem. Estonia's win came days after the team recorded its first tournament victory, a 3-1 result over Netherlands in which two consecutive Lohmus aces at 22-22 in the fourth set proved decisive. Still, Estonia finished fifth in Pool C and was eliminated. The round of 16 begins this weekend in Sofia and Turin. Finland faces Greece and Belgium meets Czechia in Turin on September 20 and 21. Poland plays Latvia and Germany faces Bulgaria in Sofia on September 19, followed by Ukraine-Romania and France-Portugal on September 20. Slovenia meets Serbia in Turin on September 21, with Italy facing Denmark the same weekend. Semifinals and medal matches will be held in Milan.