▁sp ots ▁reserved ▁in ▁international ▁compet itions ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁conf eder ation . ▁ ▁Russia , ▁which ▁inherited ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁players ▁and ▁coach es ▁from ▁former ▁USS R ▁and ▁C IS , ▁has ▁arg u ably ▁the ▁most ▁stable ▁vol ley ball ▁programme , ▁supporting ▁top ▁level ▁women ' s ▁and ▁men ' s ▁teams . ▁The ▁same ▁may ▁be ▁said ▁of ▁Italy , ▁although ▁only ▁in ▁later ▁years ▁women ' s ▁vol ley ball ▁was ▁fully ▁developed ▁in ▁this ▁country . ▁ ▁Ser bia , ▁Poland , ▁Italy , ▁Bulg aria ▁and ▁The ▁Netherlands ▁must ▁also ▁be ▁counted ▁as ▁contin ental ▁forces ▁in ▁men ' s ▁vol ley ball . ▁At ▁a ▁lower ▁level ▁of ▁play , ▁one ▁may ▁consider ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁teams ▁with ▁some ▁tradition ▁in ▁this ▁real m , ▁such ▁as ▁France ; ▁and ▁at ▁an ▁even ▁lower ▁level , ▁but ▁still ▁capable ▁of ▁occasionally ▁ups eting ▁stronger ▁teams , ▁Germany , ▁Spain , ▁Greece ▁and ▁possibly ▁Portugal . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Sloven ia ▁made ▁history ▁ending ▁in ▁second ▁place ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁European ▁Championship . ▁ ▁Compet ition ▁is ▁less ▁t ough ▁in ▁the ▁domain ▁of ▁women ' s ▁vol ley ball . ▁Russia , ▁Ser bia ▁and ▁Italy ▁are ▁rarely ▁threatened ▁by ▁any ▁other ▁team ▁in ▁major ▁compet itions . ▁A part ▁from ▁these ▁three , ▁Germany , ▁which ▁has ▁drawn ▁players ▁both ▁from ▁West ▁and ▁East ▁Germany , ▁may ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁the ▁next ▁most ▁traditional ▁European ▁team