Germany has secured their spot in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League Finals, following a determined performance during the preliminary round. They finished as the seventh seed, setting up a quarterfinal encounter against Brazil in Lodz, Poland.
Key players Lina Alsmeier and Camilla Weitzel were standout performers as the German team achieved seven victories out of twelve matches. This run included crucial wins against Canada, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic during the final week of pool play in Arlington. Their total of 23 points was sufficient to hold off the United States and earn a return to the VNL Final Round, marking their first appearance since 2023.
This notable progress has also been supported by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme. A project approved for USD 84,000 in 2023 has provided dedicated coaching support and helped implement a more structured approach for the national team. These efforts are now yielding clear results. After missing out last season, Germany is back among the top eight teams, appearing more stable, competitive, and prepared than before.
On an individual level, Lina Alsmeier ranked among the tournament’s leading scorers with 193 points, including 170 in attack. She also topped all players in successful receptions with 106. Camilla Weitzel provided significant strength in the middle, recording 30 block points, which placed her seventh overall, and securing 19 service aces, making her second in that category. Setter Sarah Straube efficiently guided the offense with 260 successful sets, ranking her seventh among players in her position.
Germany’s preliminary phase included six demanding five-set matches, two of which they won. Despite facing narrow defeats against highly ranked teams like Italy, Brazil, the Netherlands, and China, their ability to secure victories against opponents such as France and Canada, and their overall consistency across the three competition weeks, demonstrated their capability to challenge the world`s elite volleyball nations.
Other teams advancing to the knockout stage alongside Germany include the undefeated leaders and defending champions Italy, who are set to play the eighth-seeded USA in a rematch of the 2022 Finals. Hosts Poland, who finished within the top four, will face China in their quarterfinal match, while Japan and Türkiye, the 2024 runners-up and 2023 champions respectively, are scheduled for a highly anticipated clash.
Since the inauguration of the women`s VNL in 2018, only Italy, USA, and Türkiye have lifted the title. Germany will be aiming to join this exclusive group when the Finals tournament gets underway on 23 July.
Finley Blackwood 
Oliver Wrenwick