France women reach EuroVolley knockouts after Montenegro win

France have secured a place in the EuroVolley women’s round of 16 with two Group D matches still to play. The qualification follows a third straight victory in the tournament, keeping the French team at the top of the pool and preserving their perfect record. Each of those wins has come without dropping a set.

France defeated Montenegro 3-0 in Gothenburg on Monday, taking the sets 25-19, 25-22 and 25-17. Montenegro briefly moved ahead in the second set at 15-14, but France regained control before closing it out. The French side led from 1-1 in the third set and finished the match without allowing a fourth set.

The result settles France’s place in the knockout phase but not their final Group D position. They face Italy on Wednesday afternoon and Sweden on Thursday evening, with those fixtures offering France the chance to remain among the pool’s top two. Italy represent the toughest immediate test: they are the world’s number one team and hold both the world and Olympic titles.

Cyrielle Depie again provided France’s main attacking threat. The 19-year-old scored 19 points and converted 60 percent of her attacks, making her the leading scorer for the third consecutive match. Captain Amandine Giardino led a team coached by Cesar Hernandez as France continued their strong opening run.