Inspired by Helena Cazaute, the French team battled hard to achieve a crucial four-set victory and advance to the next stage.
France has clinched the final eighth-final position from Pool C at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Thailand. In a pivotal match held in Chiang Mai on Tuesday, the French squad battled past a resilient Greek team, securing a four-set victory and confirming their spot among the top two in the pool.
This significant win propelled France to the top of the table with a 2-1 record and 7 points, positioning them ahead of undefeated Brazil (2-0, 5 points) and Greece (1-2, 3 points). Puerto Rico (0-2, 0 points) remained at the bottom, prior to the final pool match between Brazil and Puerto Rico.
Defying their underdog status, Greece started the match with strong determination, aiming for an upset. They convincingly won the opening set and subsequently built significant leads in the following three sets. However, France demonstrated remarkable resilience and composure, ultimately securing a 3-1 (17-25, 25-21, 28-26, 25-17) triumph.
Helena Cazaute, France`s accomplished outside hitter and captain, showcased her exceptional leadership once more. She emerged as the top scorer of the match with an impressive 22 points, notably delivering the final off-the-block kill in the decisive fourth set. Her outstanding performance included five successful blocks, one ace, and an impressive 53% attack efficiency. Opposite Iman Ndiaye contributed significantly with another 19 points, comprising two blocks and an ace, while fellow outside hitter Amelie Rotar added 13 points to the team`s tally.
“It`s incredible! This was clearly one of our primary objectives. We’re immensely proud of our teamwork, our effort, and how we concluded this initial week,” Ndiaye shared, reflecting on the team`s achievement. “It proved to be a challenging match, but we focused on our own performance, aiming for cleaner execution, sticking to our strategy, and maintaining an aggressive approach. Truly, I believe every game provides us with valuable learning opportunities.”
She enthusiastically added, “I absolutely love playing here! The atmosphere is electric!”
For Greece, 21-year-old opposite Martha Evdokia Anthouli was once again the leading scorer, tallying an impressive 21 points. Outside hitter Effrosyni Bakodimou contributed 16 points, including two aces, and captain Olga Strantzali, her cross-court teammate, scored 15 points with a 52% spiking efficiency. Middle blocker Aristea Tontai also reached double figures with 10 points, which included three crucial blocks.
Jasper Thornfield