Sweden had nothing to lose, but everything to gain, in its final group game at home in the European Championship. The Swedes were already qualified for the play-offs in Brno, Czech Republic, after Tuesday's win over Croatia. A win against France, on the other hand, would have seen Sweden advance from third to second place in the group.
Sweden fought back from a 25-13 first-set deficit to make it 1-1, but it was not enough to stop the French sisters. The higher-ranked team came to life and eventually secured second place in the group, close behind reigning world champions Italy.
This means that Sweden finishes third in the group and will face the Czech Republic, which is hosting the round of 16 in the country's second-largest city, Brno.
