2026 VNL Jun 7: Italy 39 Win Streak Over, Guidetti Red Card

On the final day of week 1 in VNL 2026, 18 teams played their last match in their respective pools, with Brazil and Japan emerging as the only two unbeaten teams after the conclusion of the week.

Pool 3 (Nanjing, China)

In the first match of the final day, Czechia secured their third win after dominating Thailand in straight sets (25-14, 25-19, 25-11). Thailand will look to get their first win in week 2. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Thai setter Pornpun Guedpard expressed optimism that her team collected two points this week from two five set games despite not yet winning a match. She praised Czechia for playing well. However, she also mentioned that despite the optimistic points, her team made many mistakes and could not close out the final points. That is why they will keep working hard and practicing back in Thailand for week 2.

The second match of the day saw Belgium hold off Serbia in a five set win (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25, 15-11). After taking the first two sets, Serbia bounced back to level the match at 2-2 but ultimately lost the fifth set yet again. For Serbia, this was their 10th consecutive loss in a fifth set match across all international competitions, a streak dating back to the 2023 EuroVolley final. Their last victory in a deciding set came at the 2023 VNL Week 3 in Thailand, when they beat Bulgaria. Serbia finishes week 1 with one win and three losses, while Belgium finishes with a 2-2 record.

The final match in Nanjing saw hosts China defeat Poland 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24) to hand Poland their first loss and improve their own record to 3-1. In a post-match interview with VBTV, when asked about China being a completely different team from the start of the week, head coach Zhao Yong said that in the first match the coaching staff did not do a good job with the team’s mental preparation. The players were burdened by pressure and played timidly, unable to show their true ability. After that, he believes the team freed themselves mentally.

Pool 2 (Brasilia, Brazil)

Moving to Pool 2, the first match saw the Netherlands dominate the Dominican Republic in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-17). This was the second victory for the Netherlands, while the Dominican Republic remains winless after four matches in week 1. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Netherlands head coach Felix Koslowski reflected on the week and expressed happiness with the two wins, which he initially only hoped for one. He noted that they played well against Brazil and even against Italy, staying close in two sets despite Italy’s quality, and finished the week the way they did.

The second match of the day in Brasilia saw hosts Brazil defeat Italy in a five set thriller (25-15, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 15-12). This match ended Italy’s 39 match winning streak across all competitions since the 2024 VNL. During this period, Italy went unbeaten through the VNL 2024 Finals, won gold at Paris 2024 (Italy’s first Olympic title), posted a perfect 15-0 record across the VNL 2025 preliminary and final rounds, and won the FIVB World Championship 2025. The streak finally ended here in their fourth match of VNL 2026. Notably, Italy’s last defeat two years ago was also a 3-2 loss against Brazil, in Macau during week 2 of the preliminary round. With this win, Brazil finished week 1 unbeaten at 4-0, while Italy’s record dropped to 3-1.

In the final match in Brasilia, Türkiye defeated Bulgaria 3-1 (25-12, 25-9, 22-25, 25-18), improving their record to 2-2. Bulgaria’s record dropped to 1-3. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Bulgarian setter Lora Slavcheva said she hopes the team can play better and better in each game and maintain their quality. She was happy they came back in set three but dissatisfied with the first two sets, and thanked everyone in the gymnasium who supported them.

Pool 1 (Quebec City, Canada)

Moving to Pool 1 in Quebec City, the first match of the day saw France complete a reverse sweep against VNL debutants Ukraine (18-25, 15-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-10) to take their first victory of VNL 2026. Ukraine remains at one win after four matches. In a post-match interview with VBTV, Ukraine head coach Jakub Głuszak said his team was really upset about the loss because they kept France completely under control in the first two sets. After the second set, France substituted an opposite, who became the top scorer of the match, and a middle blocker. He said the opposite made a difference by scoring many points, and his team could not find a way to stop her in block and defense.

The next match in Quebec City saw USA sweep Germany in straight sets (25-22, 25-15, 25-12) to secure their third win. Germany’s record dropped to 1-3. In a post-match interview with VBTV, USA outside hitter and top scorer of the match Wank said the team learned a lot from their loss against France. She noted they always have a chance to bounce back and improve. She also said it is fun to see the team’s swagger up close, and she cannot wait to see what more they can bring.

In the final match of the day, Japan denied a reverse sweep from home team Canada, winning 3-2 (29-27, 25-20, 23-25, 28-30, 15-12). In the fifth set with the score at 7-6, an incident occurred when Canadian middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom used two hands to touch the ball at a height over the net, but not immediately after Haruyo Shimamura’s block.

Under a new FIVB rule implemented this year, rule 9.2.2 is being applied more strictly. The rule states that attack actions involving changes of direction, two hand attacks, pushes, open hand block outs, and carries will not be permitted.

The controversy lies in whether Thokbuom’s action was a block or an attack. Her hands were over the net, but in a direction of pushing the ball to the floor. Canada head coach Giovanni Guidetti protested furiously after the call, which resulted in a red card for him and subsequently a penalty point awarded to Japan. The score moved from 7-6 to 9-6 (one point for an attack error and one point as penalty). Japan then won the match to secure their fourth straight win of the week. Canada’s record dropped to 2-2.

Looking Ahead to Week 2

Women’s VNL 2026 week 2 will resume on June 17. The 18 teams will play across three pools in Ankara, Türkiye (Pool 4), Pasig, Philippines (Pool 5), and Bangkok, Thailand (Pool 6) to fight for wins, a spot in the finals, and to avoid relegation.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)