2025 VNL Jun 7: Türkiye, Brazil, Japan Win Three Straight

The fourth day of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 delivered thrilling five-set battles, dominant performances, and significant wins across three pools.

The action began in Beijing, where two European powerhouses clashed in an intense five-set match. Türkiye defeated Poland 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-7), continuing their strong start with now three wins in a row. Meanwhile, Poland now has a win-loss record of 2-1.

In the second match in Beijing, China cruised to a commanding straight-set victory over France (25-17, 25-18, 25-11), improving their win-loss record to 2-1. Meanwhile, France has a win-loss record of 1-2 after the match. France’s coach, César Hernández González, speaking to VBTV, acknowledged that his team’s level is still far from China’s and explained that he rotated players during the match to focus on key targets for the week, particularly the games against Belgium and Thailand. With Belgium already played, the upcoming match against Thailand remains crucial for the team’s goals.

Over in Pool 2 in Rio de Janeiro, fans were treated to two five-set thrillers. In the first match, Brazil edged past Germany (25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-8) to secure their third consecutive win. Germany’s coach Giulio Cesare Bregoli, in a VBTV interview, praised his team’s overall performance in the tournament so far, with strong showings against top-ranked Italy and Brazil. However, he emphasized the need for greater consistency, pointing out that the team’s quality dropped after the first three and a half sets.

The second match in Rio saw Czechia overcome South Korea 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-9, 15-9). With this victory, Czechia improved to a 2-1 record, while South Korea remains winless after three matches. Czech outside hitter Helena Grozer, speaking to VBTV, shared that the team faced challenges, including a late night and South Korea’s incredible defense, but expressed pride in securing the win.

Meanwhile, in Pool 1, Japan continued their unbeaten run with a straight-set victory over Canada (26-24, 25-20, 25-19), making it three straight-set victories in a row. Canada’s outside hitter Hilary Howe, in a VBTV interview, acknowledged Japan’s exceptional defense and quick offense, describing them as a tough team to break down despite Canada’s efforts to utilize their height and power.

In the final match of the day, Bulgaria edged past Serbia in a dramatic five-set encounter (12-25, 25-19, 25-16, 10-25, 17-15), improving their record to 2-1. Serbia, meanwhile, remains winless after three matches. Bulgarian opposite Mikaela Stoyanova told VBTV that the team is feeling positive about their strong start and is excited for the challenges ahead.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)