2025 VNL Jul 10: USA, Germany Edge Closer to Finals

July 11, 2025

The second day of Week 3 in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) featured six thrilling matches across three pools, as teams pushed closer to the end of the preliminary round.

The day began in Chiba, Japan, where Brazil edged out France in a five-set battle (23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11). This marked Brazil’s 9th victory of the tournament, confirming their strong form. Despite the loss, French captain Cazaute was the standout player, delivering an impressive 33 points, though France’s record dropped to 3-7.

In the second match in Chiba, host Japan cruised past South Korea in straight sets (25-21, 27-25, 25-22), earning their 8th win of the tournament in front of an energetic home crowd. South Korea, now with just one win and four points, remained at the bottom of the standings and in serious danger of relegation.

Over in Pool 7 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Italy continued their dominant campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Serbia (25-17, 26-24, 25-20). This win extended Italy’s flawless record to 10-0, solidifying their status as the team to beat in the competition. Meanwhile, Serbia remained on one win and eight points.

The next match in Pool 7 saw the Netherlands defeat Belgium 3-1 (26-24, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22). With this result, the Dutch team secured their 4th win of the tournament, keeping their hopes alive for a finals berth. Belgium, on the other hand, fell to 3-7.

In Pool 8, held in Arlington, USA, Germany swept Thailand in straight sets (26-24, 25-19, 25-11) to claim their 6th victory of the tournament. This win brought Germany closer to securing a spot in the finals. Meanwhile, Thailand remained stuck on one win and five points, sitting just one point above South Korea at the bottom of the standings, with both teams having two matches left to play.

The final match of the day in Arlington saw USA defeating Dominican Republic 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20). This victory marked the USA’s 6th win of the tournament, giving a significant boost to their chances of reaching the finals. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic’s record dropped to 4-6.