France, the current Olympic champions, advanced further in their Volleyball Nations League 2025 title defense by winning their opening match in Gdańsk on Wednesday, the first of four scheduled this week.
Yacine Louati, an outside hitter, contributed 15 points to France`s win.
Despite a rocky start in the first set, the French team, bolstered by the addition of three Olympic champions this week in Poland, rallied to defeat China 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17) at the Ergo Arena, marking their first victory of the week.
Théo Faure and Trévor Clévenot, both Olympic champions and integral members of Andrea Giani`s squad since the VNL 2025 began, were crucial to France`s recovery. Faure, the opposite, led the scoring with 20 points (18 kills, 1 block, 1 ace), while veteran Clévenot matched teammate Yacine Louati with 15 points each.
Setter Antoine Brizard commented, “We are still finding our rhythm, so things aren`t perfect yet. It`s great to have nearly our full team here this week. Our goal is to continue improving with each match and conclude the week strongly against Poland.”
For China, Zihua Wen was the sole player to reach double-digit scoring, accumulating 13 points from 11 kills, one block, and one ace.
This win significantly boosts France`s chances of reaching the VNL Finals in Ningbo, China (July 30 – August 3), propelling them to fourth place with six wins and 18 points. China, despite being 15th with two wins and seven points, has already secured a spot in the Finals as the host nation.
Cuba Edges Bulgaria in Crucial Match, Keeps Finals Hopes Alive
In a thrilling qualification battle for the Finals, Cuba achieved the crucial first victory needed this week to secure their spot in Ningbo. The Caribbean team twice rallied from a set down to defeat Bulgaria 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 23-25, 27-25, 15-13), placing them within the qualification zone.
Cuba climbed from ninth to seventh place with five wins and 15 points, significantly improving their qualification prospects. Bulgaria`s loss to a direct competitor saw them drop to 12th place, holding four wins and 12 points.
Cuban star outside hitter Marlon Yant led his team with 23 points (18 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces), reclaiming the top spot on the VNL scoring chart with a total of 172 points. In his first tournament appearance this year, middle blocker Robertlandy Simón was outstanding, contributing 19 points (13 kills, 6 blocks). Other key contributors in double figures included opposite Jose Masso (16 points), middle blocker Javier Concepcion (15 points), and outside hitter Jose Miguel Gutierrez (11 points).
Simón expressed satisfaction with the victory, stating, “We`re pleased with the win because Bulgaria is a strong team. They are younger but capable of competing with anyone. We face another challenging match against Poland tomorrow, and we will bring our competitive spirit once more.”
Bulgaria, welcoming back star setter Simeon Nikolov from injury (sustained in week two of VNL), relied heavily on his older brother, outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov, who matched Yant`s impressive output with 19 kills, 3 blocks, and 1 ace.
The final match of the day in Gdańsk will see hosts Poland face Iran at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT). Thursday`s schedule at the Ergo Arena includes China versus Iran at 16:30 (14:30 GMT), followed by Poland taking on Cuba at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield