Brazil secured the bronze medal at the Men`s Volleyball Nations League 2025, marking their second podium achievement in the tournament`s history, having previously claimed the trophy in 2021. Their opponents in the third-place match in Ningbo, China, Slovenia, once again had to settle for fourth place, a repeat of their 2021 and 2024 finishes, thus failing to secure their inaugural VNL hardware.
In this decisive encounter, the South American powerhouse was spearheaded by opposite hitter Alan Souza, who contributed a team-high 18 points to their 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-19) comeback victory. Souza impressively notched 16 points from spikes with a 52% success rate, complemented by a service ace and a kill block. Middle blocker Matheus Bispo dos Santos excelled in Brazil`s defensive efforts, registering four of the team`s total 11 kill blocks. He also added an ace and six attack points at a 55% success rate, accumulating 11 points overall.
Brazil held the lead for the majority of the first set, but Slovenia staged a late comeback to secure the set. The South Americans maintained control throughout most of the second set, successfully leveling the match score.
The third set proved pivotal. Slovenia squandered a significant five-point lead at 10-5, allowing their opponents to close the gap. This time, the Brazilian players demonstrated greater focus in the set`s crucial moments. After seizing their first lead of the set at 23-22, they managed to close it out in their favor, gaining an advantage in the match. The fourth set remained competitive only until the 11-11 mark, after which Brazil surged ahead with five consecutive points and never relinquished their lead.
Brazil`s setter, Fernando Kreling, known as Cachopa, expressed his elation post-match, stating, “Super! This is just the beginning for a young, new team, and winning a medal is incredibly important. We`ve faced many difficult moments, and I believe we are growing stronger together. Our legs are quite tired, and we obviously played against an excellent team. Slovenia is currently one of the world`s top teams, so it was never going to be easy. We reached the quarterfinals in previous years, so making it to the final four is a significant achievement for us.”
Slovenia marginally surpassed Brazil in attack, registering 49 kills compared to Brazil`s 48. Their offensive output was largely driven by 23-year-old star outside hitter Rok Mozic, who amassed a match-high 21 points, with 18 from spikes and three from blocks. Opposite Toncek Stern contributed another 10 points for Slovenia, all from offense.
The next event in Ningbo is the highly anticipated grand finale of the Volleyball Nations League 2025. The gold medal match will feature a clash between the world`s number one team, Poland, and the reigning world champions, Italy, scheduled to commence at 19:00 local time (11:00 UTC).
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood