# 1981 Women's European Volleyball Championship

The 1981 Women's European Volleyball Championship was the twelfth edition of the event, organised by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. It was hosted in several cities in Bulgaria from 19 to 27 September 1981, with the final round held in Sofia.

## Participating teams

* Bulgaria
* Czechoslovakia
* East Germany
* Hungary
* Italy
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Romania
* Soviet Union
* Turkey
* West Germany
* Yugoslavia

## Format

The tournament was played in two different stages. In the first stage, the twelve participants were divided into three groups of four teams each. In the second stage, two groups were formed, one containing the winners and runners-up from all first stage groups (six teams in total) to contest the tournament title. A second group was formed by the remaining six teams which played for position places (7th to 12th). All groups in both stages played a single round-robin format.

## Pools composition

| Pool 1 | Pool 2 | Pool 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | East Germany | Bulgaria |
| Romania | Italy | Hungary |
| Soviet Union | Netherlands | Turkey |
| Yugoslavia | Poland | West Germany |

## Venues

| Pool 1 and 7th–12th pool | Pools 2, 3 and Final Pool | PernikSofiaclass=notpageimage| Tournament host cities |
| Pernik | Sofia | PernikSofiaclass=notpageimage| Tournament host cities |

## Preliminary round
### Pool 1

* venue location: Pernik, Bulgaria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | MAX | 135 | 57 | 2.368 | Final pool |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1.500 | 124 | 125 | 0.992 | Final pool |
| 3 | Romania | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0.667 | 117 | 126 | 0.929 | 7th–12th pool |
| 4 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0.000 | 69 | 137 | 0.504 | 7th–12th pool |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Total | Report |
| 19 Sep | Yugoslavia | 0–3 | Romania | 6–15 | 4–15 | 13–15 | | 23–45 | Report |
| 19 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Czechoslovakia | 15–3 | 15–9 | 15–7 | | 45–19 | Report |
| 20 Sep | Yugoslavia | 0–3 | Soviet Union | 3–15 | 4–15 | 3–15 | | 10–45 | Report |
| 20 Sep | Czechoslovakia | 3–1 | Romania | 16–14 | 15–10 | 12–15 | 15–5 | 58–44 | Report |
| 21 Sep | Yugoslavia | 0–3 | Czechoslovakia | 15–17 | 12–15 | 9–15 | | 36–47 | Report |
| 21 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Romania | 15–9 | 15–13 | 15–6 | | 45–28 | Report |

### Pool 2

* venue location: Sofia, Bulgaria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | East Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 2.250 | 171 | 155 | 1.103 | Final pool |
| 2 | Poland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1.500 | 136 | 104 | 1.308 | Final pool |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0.833 | 133 | 131 | 1.015 | 7th–12th pool |
| 4 | Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0.333 | 114 | 164 | 0.695 | 7th–12th pool |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 19 Sep | Poland | 3–1 | Netherlands | 15–12 | 15–3 | 13–15 | 15–2 | | 58–32 | Report |
| 19 Sep | East Germany | 3–2 | Italy | 14–16 | 15–13 | 6–15 | 15–9 | 15–8 | 65–61 | Report |
| 20 Sep | East Germany | 3–2 | Netherlands | 10–15 | 15–7 | 6–15 | 15–13 | 15–11 | 61–61 | Report |
| 20 Sep | Poland | 3–0 | Italy | 15–12 | 15–5 | 15–10 | | | 45–27 | Report |
| 21 Sep | Italy | 3–0 | Netherlands | 15–9 | 15–8 | 15–4 | | | 45–21 | Report |
| 21 Sep | East Germany | 3–0 | Poland | 15–11 | 15–13 | 15–9 | | | 45–33 | Report |

### Pool 3

* venue location: Sofia, Bulgaria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 4.500 | 155 | 101 | 1.535 | Final pool |
| 2 | Hungary | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2.667 | 148 | 98 | 1.510 | Final pool |
| 3 | West Germany | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0.500 | 96 | 111 | 0.865 | 7th–12th pool |
| 4 | Turkey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0.000 | 46 | 135 | 0.341 | 7th–12th pool |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 19 Sep | Hungary | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–2 | 15–3 | 15–4 | | | 45–9 | Report |
| 19 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–0 | West Germany | 15–4 | 16–14 | 15–8 | | | 46–26 | Report |
| 20 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–4 | 15–9 | 15–4 | | | 45–17 | Report |
| 20 Sep | Hungary | 3–0 | West Germany | 15–4 | 15–10 | 15–11 | | | 45–25 | Report |
| 21 Sep | West Germany | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–10 | 15–9 | 15–1 | | | 45–20 | Report |
| 21 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–2 | Hungary | 15–13 | 6–15 | 13–15 | 15–5 | 15–10 | 64–58 | Report |

## Final round
### 7th–12th pool

* venue location: Pernik, Bulgaria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR |
| 1 | Romania | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 0 | MAX | 225 | 99 | 2.273 |
| 2 | Italy | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 3.000 | 217 | 154 | 1.409 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 1.000 | 194 | 212 | 0.915 |
| 4 | West Germany | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 0.727 | 233 | 232 | 1.004 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 0.500 | 177 | 249 | 0.711 |
| 6 | Turkey | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 0.067 | 135 | 235 | 0.574 |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 23 Sep | Yugoslavia | 0–3 | Romania | 6–15 | 4–15 | 13–15 | | | 23–45 | Report |
| 23 Sep | Italy | 3–0 | Netherlands | 15–9 | 15–8 | 15–4 | | | 45–21 | Report |
| 23 Sep | West Germany | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–10 | 15–9 | 15–1 | | | 45–20 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Yugoslavia | 3–0 | Turkey | 19–17 | 15–10 | 15–2 | | | 49–29 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Netherlands | 3–2 | West Germany | 10–15 | 8–15 | 15–10 | 15–11 | 15–10 | 63–61 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Romania | 3–0 | Italy | 15–11 | 15–6 | 15–5 | | | 45–22 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Yugoslavia | 2–3 | West Germany | 16–14 | 11–15 | 15–13 | 8–15 | 7–15 | 57–72 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Italy | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–3 | 15–10 | 15–5 | | | 45–18 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Romania | 3–0 | Netherlands | 15–8 | 15–3 | 15–3 | | | 45–14 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Yugoslavia | 0–3 | Netherlands | 9–15 | 2–15 | 7–15 | | | 18–45 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Romania | 3–0 | Turkey | 15–6 | 15–13 | 15–6 | | | 45–25 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Italy | 3–0 | West Germany | 15–13 | 15–12 | 17–15 | | | 47–40 | Report |
| 27 Sep | Yugoslavia | 1–3 | Italy | 3–15 | 15–13 | 6–15 | 6–15 | | 30–58 | Report |
| 27 Sep | Netherlands | 3–1 | Turkey | 6–15 | 15–12 | 15–5 | 15–11 | | 51–43 | Report |
| 27 Sep | Romania | 3–0 | West Germany | 15–4 | 15–9 | 15–2 | | | 45–15 | Report |

### Final pool

* venue location: Sofia, Bulgaria
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 3.750 | 265 | 161 | 1.646 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 2.400 | 228 | 169 | 1.349 |
| 3 | Hungary | 5 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 1.625 | 263 | 215 | 1.223 |
| 4 | East Germany | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0.700 | 170 | 232 | 0.733 |
| 5 | Poland | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 0.286 | 192 | 252 | 0.762 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 0.333 | 191 | 280 | 0.682 |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total | Report |
| 23 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Czechoslovakia | 15–3 | 15–9 | 15–7 | | | 45–19 | Report |
| 23 Sep | East Germany | 3–0 | Poland | 15–11 | 15–13 | 15–9 | | | 45–33 | Report |
| 23 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–2 | Hungary | 15–13 | 6–15 | 13–15 | 15–5 | 15–10 | 64–58 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Hungary | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | 15–3 | 11–15 | 15–7 | 15–5 | | 56–30 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Poland | 15–6 | 15–10 | 15–5 | | | 45–21 | Report |
| 24 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–0 | East Germany | 15–7 | 15–10 | 15–7 | | | 45–24 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Poland | 15–10 | 15–7 | 17–15 | | | 47–32 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Hungary | 3–0 | East Germany | 15–7 | 15–10 | 15–2 | | | 45–19 | Report |
| 25 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | 10–15 | 15–3 | 15–2 | 15–9 | | 55–29 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Poland | 3–2 | Czechoslovakia | 15–8 | 15–12 | 11–15 | 8–15 | 15–10 | 64–60 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–1 | East Germany | 15–3 | 15–0 | 11–15 | 15–4 | | 56–22 | Report |
| 26 Sep | Soviet Union | 3–2 | Hungary | 15–12 | 8–15 | 15–0 | 7–15 | 15–7 | 60–49 | Report |
| 27 Sep | Hungary | 3–1 | Poland | 15–10 | 10–15 | 15–10 | 15–7 | | 55–42 | Report |
| 27 Sep | East Germany | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | 13–15 | 17–15 | 15–12 | 15–11 | | 60–53 | Report |
| 27 Sep | Bulgaria | 3–0 | Soviet Union | 15–6 | 15–13 | 15–12 | | | 45–31 | Report |

## Final ranking

| Place | Team |
| | Bulgaria |
| | Soviet Union |
| | Hungary |
| 4. | East Germany |
| 5. | Poland |
| 6. | Czechoslovakia |
| 7. | Romania |
| 8. | Italy |
| 9. | Netherlands |
| 10. | West Germany |
| 11. | Yugoslavia |
| 12. | Turkey |
* 1981 Women's European champions
* Bulgaria First title