Reigning world champions Italy kicked off the third and final week of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 Preliminary Phase with an impressive display in Ljubljana on Wednesday, securing their seventh victory of the tournament.
Facing 18th-placed Serbia at the Arena Stožice, the Italian team cruised to a dominant 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-14, 25-16). This decisive win brings them significantly closer to qualifying for the VNL Finals, scheduled to be held in Ningbo, China, from July 30 to August 3.
With seven victories and 20 points, Italy holds the second spot in the VNL standings, trailing only Brazil, who boast eight wins and 23 points after their earlier triumph over Argentina. Serbia, unfortunately, missed their opportunity to gain ground this week and remains in 18th place within the relegation zone, with just one victory and three points.
Star outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto led Italy`s charge, tallying a match-high 16 points (12 kills, two blocks, and two aces). Middle blocker Giovanni Gargiulo contributed significantly with 13 points (seven kills, four blocks, two aces), while opposite Kamil Rychlicki added 11 points (nine kills, two aces).
Team captain and setter Simone Giannelli reflected on the performance: “It was a really fun night for us here in Ljubljana with an amazing stadium and a great crowd. We enjoyed it a lot, but now we need to focus on our next matches. We play tomorrow, and we have to be present and focused on what we have to do.”
For Serbia, captain and outside hitter Marko Ivović was their most productive player, recording eight points (seven kills, one block).
Ukraine Edges Netherlands in Five-Set Thriller
The first match of the day in Ljubljana pitted a team aiming for the Finals against one fighting to avoid relegation. In a fiercely contested battle, VNL newcomers Ukraine defeated the Netherlands 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13) after five intense sets.
This hard-fought victory earned Ukraine two crucial points, solidifying their position within the qualification zone for the finals. They now rank sixth in the standings with six wins and 17 points. Although a loss for the Dutch, the single point gained helped them increase their separation from Serbia, as they now sit in 17th place with one win and five points.
Opposite Vasyl Tupchii spearheaded the Ukrainian offense, leading his team with 21 points (20 kills, one block). Outside hitter Dmytro Yanchuk contributed 17 points (15 kills, two aces), and team captain and middle blocker Yurii Semeniuk added 16 points (13 kills, three blocks), all playing pivotal roles in their successful outing.
Semeniuk commented on the challenging match: “It wasn’t the way we wanted, but it’s a win and we’ll take it. I thought the Netherlands played well and we didn’t play at our best, but we did a good job in the difficult moments. So, happy for the win, but we hope we can do better on the next one.”
For the Netherlands, outside hitter Tom Koops emerged as the match`s top scorer with an impressive 28 points (25 kills, three aces). Opposite Michiel Ahyi also showed strong performance, registering 21 points, all from kills.
Later today, host nation Slovenia is scheduled to face Canada in the third and final match of the day at 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT). Looking ahead to Thursday, Ukraine will challenge Italy in the opening match at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), followed by the Netherlands encountering Slovenia at 20:30 (18:30 GMT).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick