Women`s World Championship 2025
Bianca Cugno`s stellar performance with 25 points leads Argentina to triumph against Czechia.
On the inaugural day of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball World Championship in Thailand, Argentina emerged as the first team to secure a win. In a thrilling Pool D match held in Nakhon Ratchasima, the South American squad overcame Czechia with a 3-1 score, bouncing back after losing the first set.
The Argentine team capitalized on numerous unforced errors made by their European opponents, ultimately clinching the match with set scores of 18-25, 25-23, 25-17, and 26-24. The fourth set was particularly dramatic; Argentina staged a remarkable comeback from a 21-23 deficit, executing a decisive 5-1 run to win the set and the match.
Czechia conceded a significant 28 points to Argentina through unforced errors, including the match-winning point in the final set, compared to only 21 such errors from the winning side. This difference proved to be pivotal, outweighing Czechia`s slight advantage in attack, which saw them record 56 spike kills against Argentina`s 53.
Key Players` Performances
Bianca Cugno, the 22-year-old opposite hitter for Argentina, delivered an outstanding performance, earning the title of the match`s top scorer with a remarkable 25 points, including an ace and a kill block. She was well-supported by outside hitters Bianca Bertolino and Daniela Bulaich, who contributed 13 and 10 points, respectively.
For Czechia, 20-year-old opposite Monika Brancuska led her team with 17 points. Veteran outside hitter Helena Grozer added another 14 points, while middle blocker Magdalena Jehlarova scored 12 points.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick