Poland`s men`s volleyball team claimed the gold medal at the FISU World University Games Rhine-Ruhr 2025, which concluded in Berlin on Thursday. Brazil earned the silver, and Italy secured the bronze. In the women`s tournament, Italy took home the gold on Wednesday, with Japan finishing second (silver) and Brazil third (bronze).
Poland`s Dominant Path to Men`s Gold
The Polish men`s team demonstrated a dominant performance throughout the tournament, losing only one set across six matches. Their path to gold included straight-set victories over the Philippines, Argentina, and Colombia in Pool C, followed by a four-set win against Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, Poland convincingly defeated Japan 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-13), before delivering a commanding 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-20) sweep against Brazil in the final. This victory marks Poland`s second Universiade gold in history, with their first dating back to 1991. They also possess four silver medals from previous editions, including the last two.
Brazil, also undefeated until the final, managed only one straight-sets win, which was in their quarter-final against Colombia. In the semi-finals, they narrowly edged out Italy in a thrilling five-set match, 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 19-25, 15-13), to secure their place in the final. This defeat marked the first sets Italy had dropped in the tournament. However, the Italian team recovered impressively, defeating Japan 3-1 (34-32, 25-19, 23-25, 25-16) in the third-place playoff to claim the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 bronze medal.
In the men`s final standings, teams ranking from fifth to fifteenth included Czechia, Chinese Taipei, host nation Germany, Colombia, Australia, Portugal, Korea, USA, Argentina, Philippines, and Chile.
Italy Secures Women`s Gold with Strong Performance
For the women`s competition, Italy showcased an equally strong performance, sweeping all their Pool D matches against USA, Chinese Taipei, and Australia, as well as their quarter-final against Czechia, without conceding a single set. Their flawless progression continued with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-21) semi-final triumph over host Germany. Although Italy dropped a set to Japan in the final, they ultimately celebrated a 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 25-14) victory, securing their third Universiade championship title, adding to their wins in 1991 and 2009.
Japan also reached the semi-finals on the back of four consecutive straight-set victories. However, in their semi-final match, Brazil pushed them to a demanding five-set encounter, which Japan won 3-2 (29-31, 25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 15-10), ensuring their medal contention. Brazil, recovering from their first loss of the tournament, went on to defeat Germany 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-15, 25-23) in the third-place match, securing the bronze medal and preventing the host nation from claiming a volleyball podium spot.
The final standings for the women`s tournament, from fifth to sixteenth place, included Poland, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, China, Spain, USA, Mongolia, France, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and India.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood