VNL 2025: Japan Sweep Czechia to Secure 6th Victory

On June 22, in the second match of the day during Week 2 Pool 5 in Hong Kong, Japan defeated Czechia in straight sets (25-22, 25-17, 25-20) to claim their sixth win of the tournament. Meanwhile, Czechia’s record dropped to 4-4.

Post-Match Reactions

In a post-match interview with our journalist, Japanese setter Nanami Seki shared her thoughts on the game. She revealed that their coach had stressed the importance of this win before the match, and she was happy the team was able to deliver. However, she acknowledged there were some errors in the third set and expressed her hope to address these issues in the future.

Czechia’s head coach Giannis Athanasopoulos also spoke with our journalist. He admitted that the team wasn’t as fresh as they could have been, likely due to playing three consecutive matches. Reflecting on the first set, he said the team played well initially but struggled to handle the jump serves from Mayu Ishikawa, who scored 3 service points in the opening set. Athanasopoulos believed that if they had started a bit faster, they might have won the first set.

Despite the challenges, he praised his players for fighting hard and giving everything they had on the court, adding that Japan simply performed better on the day. He pointed out Japan’s aggressive jump serves, strong defense, and effective transitions as key factors that made it difficult for Czechia to respond.

Looking Ahead

In Week 3, Japan will return to play in front of their home fans in Chiba as part of Pool 9, while Czechia will compete in Pool 7 in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

Video Interviews of the Matchday

(Reported by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)