Thrills and Comebacks: VNL 2025 Kicks Off with Action-Packed Opening Day

The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 officially began on June 4, 2025, bringing an exciting new format to the competition. For the first time, there is no distinction between core and challenger teams, meaning no team is exempt from relegation. This change raises the stakes significantly, as the last-ranked team will be relegated—a departure from previous editions, where core teams were protected. Additionally, the competition has expanded to include 18 teams, up from 16, making the battle for the championship more intense than ever. The tournament also marks the beginning of the Los Angeles Olympic cycle, being the first major event following the Paris 2024 Games.

In the opening match held in Beijing, Türkiye defeated France in four sets, securing their first victory of the tournament. The Turkish team displayed resilience and determination to kick off their campaign on a high note.

The second match of the day saw Poland overpower Thailand with a straight-set victory (25-22, 26-24, 25-22). Despite the loss, Thailand’s opposite hitter Pimpichaya delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with an impressive 22 points in just three sets.

In the final match of the day in Pool 3, China dominated Belgium with a 3-0 win (25-18, 27-25, 25-13). Under the guidance of their new coach Zhao Yong, China’s youthful squad, with an average age of just 21.7 years, displayed remarkable potential. With experienced stars like Zhu Ting and Zhang Changning no longer in the lineup, this marks a new chapter for the Chinese team.

Meanwhile, in Pool 1 action in Ottawa, Japan delivered a commanding performance against the Netherlands, securing a straight-set victory (25-17, 25-15, 25-16). Their new head coach, Ferhat Akbaş, guided the team to a dominant start in his debut match.

In the second match of the day in Pool 1, the Dominican Republic staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Serbia in a reverse sweep, overcoming a two-set deficit to secure a five-set victory (26-28, 19-25, 25-15, 25-20, 18-16). Despite Serbia’s loss, their outside hitter Sara Uzelac delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 30 points to become the match’s top scorer.

The final match of the day in Pool 1 featured another five-set thriller, with Canada defeating Bulgaria 3-2 (25-18, 25-12, 23-25, 19-25, 15-4). Both teams were led by newly appointed head coaches, as Giovanni Guidetti guided Canada to a victorious start in his debut match, while Antonina Zetova took charge of Bulgaria for the first time.

In Pool 2 action in Rio de Janeiro, Italy opened their campaign with an emphatic straight-set victory over the USA (25-13, 25-13, 30-28). This marked the first match for USA head coach Erik Sullivan. The dramatic third set saw Italy erase a seven-point deficit (14-21) with an eight-point scoring run, eventually clinching the set 30-28 to complete the 3-0 win.

In the second match in Rio, Brazil secured a dominant straight-set win over Czechia (25-21, 25-20, 25-17). Brazil’s outside hitter Ana Cristina led the way, scoring 16 points to help the host nation kick off their VNL 2025 campaign on a high note.

The final match of the day saw Germany overpower South Korea in another straight-set victory (25-17, 25-15, 25-21). Germany’s captain Camilla Weitzel led by example, scoring 16 points to seal a commanding win for the European side.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)