Sweden W vs Croatia W

Sweden started with purpose, taking the opening set 25–23 behind Haak's early dominance and sharp serving from Linda Andersson. Croatia responded in the second, levelling at 1–1 with a 25–23 win of their own as Samanta Fabris found her rhythm from the right side.

The third set belonged to the hosts. Sweden's block tightened — they finished with 14 stuffs in the match — and Croatia had no answers, dropping the set 25–17. But Croatia refused to fade. They stormed through the fourth set 25–17, with Mika Grbavica and Božana Butigan combining effectively at the net to force a decider.

In the fifth, Sweden's quality told. Haak scored repeatedly from the back row, and Croatia's serve — finishing with zero aces for the entire match — could not put Sweden under enough pressure. The hosts closed it out 15–9.

Croatia's inability to generate any service pressure proved decisive. While Sweden recorded 15 aces (three from Haak, two each from Andersson, Hanna Hellvig, Vilma Julevik and Anna Haak), Croatia registered zero aces across 131 minutes of play. That asymmetry meant Sweden could run their offence through Haak in system far more consistently than Croatia could pressure theirs.

Isabelle Haak (Sweden) — 52 points
The Swedish superstar produced an extraordinary all-court display: 43 kills from 83 attacks (57%), 2 blocks and 3 aces, with 18 break-points won. Her 52 points were the highest individual tally of the tournament so far.

Samanta Fabris (Croatia) — 33 points
Croatia's veteran opposite carried the offence with 30 kills from 60 attacks (55%). She scored in every clutch situation and kept her team alive through sets two and four.

Hanna Hellvig (Sweden) — 17 points
The outside hitter contributed 12 kills, 3 blocks and 2 aces while handling 40 receptions with a 33% positive reception rate.

Božana Butigan (Croatia) — 11 points
The captain led Croatia's block with 3 stuffs and added 8 kills at a superb 62% attack efficiency, but her team's lack of serving punch undermined the defensive system.

Sweden's 15 aces to Croatia's zero tells the clearest story of the match. Croatia played good enough offence in system — Fabris at 55% and Butigan at 62% efficiency — but they never had the serve to push Sweden out of system. Sweden's 93 points from their own actions (kills, blocks, aces) reflected their second-ball control advantage. The 3,871 spectators at Scandinavium saw a match that swung on serving margins in a venue where Sweden had already set attendance records earlier in the tournament.

The win moved Sweden to three victories in Pool D, keeping them alongside Italy and France near the top of the group with one match remaining in the pool stage. Croatia, despite the battling display, fell to two wins and face an anxious wait on other results to determine their qualification for the Round of 16.

Sweden's next fixture is against France on 27 August, a match that will likely determine the final Pool D standings. Croatia face Montenegro on the same day, needing a win and favourable results elsewhere.

A match that followed a clean pattern — Sweden served well enough to control the game through Haak, and Croatia could not generate the same weapon. Haak's 52-point masterclass was the headline, but Sweden's serving advantage (15–0 in aces) was the structural reason they won. Croatia will rue a contest where they matched their hosts in open play but were outclassed from the service line.

Attendance: 3,871 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg. Referees: Jennifer Hesse (GER) and Raquel Portela (ESP).