2026 VNL Jun 6: Belgium Comeback Thailand, Nanjing Attendance Record

On the penultimate day of the first week of the 2026 VNL, six thrilling matches across three pools were played, with each team having one match remaining on the final day of week 1.

Pool 3 (Nanjing, China)

The day started in Nanjing with Belgium completing an impressive comeback against Thailand to win the match in five sets (20-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-22, 16-14) after being two sets down. It was Belgium’s first win of the tournament. Thailand remains winless after three matches. Belgian opposite Pauline Martin and Thai opposite Pimpichaya Kokram both put on an absolute show, leading the scoreboard with 40 points and 37 points respectively, yet it was the European side that ultimately won this showdown between the two opposites.

In the second match of the day, host China defeated Serbia in straight sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) to claim their second victory in three matches. Serbia’s win loss record dropped to 1-2. This match broke the VNL attendance record, with 17,816 fans witnessing the home team at the Nanjing Olympic Youth Sports Park Gymnasium. The previous record was 17,034 set in Istanbul in 2025 when Türkiye faced Brazil.

Pool 2 (Brasilia, Brazil)

Over to Pool 2 in Brasilia, the first match of the day saw Brazil dominate Bulgaria in straight sets (25-23, 25-17, 25-13) to remain undefeated in the tournament after three matches. Bulgaria’s win loss record dropped to 1-2. Brazil recorded an impressive 10 ace serves throughout the match to help secure the win. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Brazilian outside hitter Ana Cristina credited service as their most powerful weapon in the match.

The second match of the day in Brasilia was a rematch of the 2025 FIVB World Championship final. Italy defeated Türkiye 3-1 (25-16, 26-28, 25-19, 25-15) to remain unbeaten in the tournament after three matches. Türkiye’s win loss record dropped to 1-2. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Türkiye head coach Daniele Santarelli said that despite the loss he is very proud of the team and there were a lot of positives from the match. However, he also said they could do better in blocking and defense.

Pool 1 (Quebec City, Canada)

In Quebec City, hosts Canada defeated France 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 28-26) to claim their second victory in three matches. France is yet to win a game after three matches. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Canada head coach Giovanni Guidetti expressed satisfaction that their block and defense started to work. He also shared his happiness and pride for winning this game, especially in front of the home crowd.

In the final match of the day, Japan defeated Germany in straight sets (25-20, 25-15, 26-24) to make it three wins in a row since the start of the tournament. Germany’s win loss record dropped to 1-2. In a post-match interview with VBTV, German captain Camilla Weitzel expressed frustration and said they took too long to understand what to do and how to position themselves. She noted that in set three they were getting there, and it was doubly hard that they could not take the set because she felt it might have gone better.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)