Four European teams have successfully advanced to the knockout stage of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League, having secured spots within the top eight following the conclusion of the preliminary round last weekend.
The reigning champions, Italy, along with final round hosts Poland, the current European champions Türkiye, and Germany, are the four European squads still in contention for the title. They join Brazil, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States of America to complete the roster for the final round.
Italy delivered a spectacular performance throughout the preliminary phase, achieving a flawless record of 12 wins in 12 matches while conceding only seven sets. This dominant run secured them the top position, giving them a strong advantage as they aim for their third FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League trophy. Such an achievement would see the European powerhouse and reigning Olympic champions equal the United States of America`s record for the most gold medals in the competition`s history.
After winning their initial eight matches in the first two weeks, Italy traveled to Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, where they added four more victories. Their run there began with a 3-0 sweep against Belgium, followed by another convincing 3-0 win over Serbia.
Their most challenging encounter was a rematch of the CEV EuroVolley 2023 Women`s final against Türkiye. Italy claimed the first set 25:19 but found themselves in difficulty after dropping the next two sets 21:25 and 21:25.
However, the star-studded Italian line-up, powered by key contributions from Ekaterina Antropova (20 points), Paola Egonu (17), and Sarah Fahr (15), staged a comeback. They won the final two sets 25:20 and 15:11. Despite a formidable 26-point performance from Türkiye`s star player, Melissa Vargas, she could not prevent Italy from taking the win.
Following a decisive 3-0 victory against the Netherlands in their final match, Italy solidified their first-place finish with 33 points. Brazil secured second place with 31 points, their only loss in the preliminary round coming against Italy.
Japan finished third, while Poland, as hosts of the final round, ended up in fourth place. Poland also had nine wins and three losses, matching Japan`s record, but their slightly lower set ratio placed them fourth.
In the final week, Poland recorded wins against the Republic of Korea (3-1) and Bulgaria (3-0). However, losses to Brazil (1-3) and Japan (1-3) caused them to drop to fourth place after consistently holding a podium spot earlier in the tournament.
Türkiye also faced setbacks, losing to Czechia (1-3) and Serbia (0-3), which resulted in them dropping to sixth place in the standings. Germany, on the other hand, made a strong recovery towards the end, securing wins against Canada, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic. Although they suffered a 2-3 loss against China, this late surge saw Germany finish the preliminary round in seventh place.
With the preliminary round concluded, the final standings were updated. France finished ninth, the Netherlands tenth, Czechia eleventh, while Bulgaria, Belgium, and Serbia finished thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth respectively.
The final round of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League is scheduled to be held in Łódź, Poland, from July 23rd to 26th.
In the quarter-finals, a highly anticipated clash features Italy against the United States, a battle between the two most decorated teams in the competition`s history. In the same half of the draw, hosts Poland will face China.
The other two European contenders are positioned in the lower half of the draw. Germany will take on Brazil, while Türkiye is set to meet Japan, with both teams vying for a potential spot in the medal matches.
