National Teams Push for VNL Finals in Arlington

The Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase is nearing its conclusion, and the upcoming matches across three locations this week will determine the teams heading to Łódź for the Finals from July 23-27. The American city of Arlington, Texas, is hosting 12 crucial duels between Wednesday and Sunday at the College Park Center, featuring six national teams vying for qualification spots: hosts United States, China, Germany, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Thailand.

With Poland already guaranteed a spot as hosts (currently in second place), the remaining seven finalist berths will be filled by the top teams from the Preliminary Phase standings. At least four of the six teams competing in Arlington have strong chances of qualifying.

Currently positioned within or near the qualification zone are China, sitting sixth with five victories (15 points); Germany, ranking seventh with four victories (14 points); and hosts United States, in eighth place, also with four victories (11 points).

The Dominican Republic, also competing in Texas, is close behind in tenth place with four victories and nine points. While Canada (15th, two victories, six points) and Thailand (16th, one victory, five points) still mathematically have a chance, their focus will also be on avoiding the bottom of the standings to prevent relegation from the VNL.

China`s performance in the first two weeks saw improvement, triumphing in three of their four matches in Hong Kong after securing two victories in Beijing. Young setter Zhang Zixuan has been a standout, leading players in her position with 236 successful actions. Outside hitter Wu Mengjie is the team’s top scorer with 147 points, while experienced middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan ranks third in the VNL for blocks with 22.

“Our team has been bringing a lot of energy to every match,” opposite and team captain Gong Xiangyu commented. “We`ve been behind on some occasions in the VNL and even when the gap seemed too big, we just kept pushing.”

Germany split their four victories evenly across the first two VNL weeks, securing two in Rio de Janeiro and two in Belgrade. Captain Camilla Weitzel has delivered excellent performances, ranking second in block points (22) and fourth in aces (11). Outside hitter Lina Aslmeier is tied for second in passes with 62.

“I think we`ve got to play at a really high level in some matches of the first two weeks,” libero Anna Pogany reflected. “And it was important for us to realize that we can play at that level. We have to work on being more consistent because our ups and downs were, at times, just too much. If we can play consistently at a high level, we can beat some really good teams.”

The United States, after fielding a young squad in the first week in Rio de Janeiro and getting only one victory, showed significant improvement in Belgrade with the addition of some veterans, achieving three positive results. This week in Arlington, they will be further bolstered by Olympic medalist outside hitter Avery Skinner and middle blocker Asija O`Neal. Outside hitter Sarah Franklin is the team’s leading scorer with 98 points, and middle blocker Amber Igiede is tied for sixth in blocks with 19.

“The last time that I played in a USA jersey in front of my family was in Paris, and we were able to do something pretty cool over there,” Olympic champion setter Jordyn Poulter said. “It`s always a gift and something I don`t take for granted. It`s just really fun to represent our country in a way that gets people together and that inspires more than divides. It`s really special.”

Seeking to enter the qualification zone this week, the Dominican Republic secured two victories in Ottawa and another two in Istanbul. Outside hitter Brayelin Martínez is their primary offensive weapon, ranking fourth in the VNL in points scored (144) and fifth in blocks (20). Defensively, Yaneirys Rodriguez ranks third in the tournament for digs with 86.

“We have many young players in our team this year,” Martinez noted. “So the most important thing for us is to be together all the time and get better and better. We need to keep working to improve, but also to be patient because we have many young players.”

After a promising start in front of their home fans in Ottawa, securing two wins, Canada struggled in Istanbul, losing all four matches, including two five-setters. Despite not playing in Türkiye two weeks ago, opposite Kiera Van Ryk continues to lead the VNL in aces with 15. She is also the team’s top scorer with 89 points.

“We got back in the gym in Canada and worked on a few upgrades that will show something different this week,” outside hitter Hilary Johnson remarked. “We`re looking to build on our game, build on the progress we`ve made and hopefully add and play our best volleyball in Week 3.”

Aiming to avoid the bottom of the standings, Thailand secured their only victory in the VNL 2025 so far in Beijing and are currently winless in their last four matches in Hong Kong. Opposite Pimpichaya Kokram is the team`s leading scorer with 105 points. Setter Pornpun Guedpard, who ranks sixth in her position with 187 successful actions, is another key player.

“I think that last week showed us where we have to improve,” Pimpichaya commented. “We went back to Thailand and got some rest, but also talked about where we needed to improve. This week is going to be fun for us, and I just want us to have fun and play together.”

A Busy Schedule in Arlington

The first day of matches at the College Park Center will be a busy one with three encounters. Germany and Canada will play first at 12:30 local time (17:30 GMT), followed by the Dominican Republic and China at 16:00 (21:00 GMT), and Thailand and the USA completing the schedule at 19:30 (00:30 GMT, Thursday).

For the next three days, Thursday through Saturday, only the two later time slots will be used. Thursday features Thailand vs. Germany and the Dominican Republic vs. USA. Friday includes Thailand vs. the Dominican Republic and Canada vs. China. Saturday matches are Germany vs. China and Canada vs. USA.

On Sunday, the schedule returns to three matches: Germany and the Dominican Republic play at 11:30 local time (16:30 GMT), Thailand and Canada meet at 15:00 (20:00 GMT), and China and the United States conclude the week`s action at 19:00 (00:00 GMT, Monday).

The third and final week of the VNL Preliminary Phase also features matches in Apeldoorn, Netherlands (hosts, Belgium, Czechia, Italy, Serbia, Türkiye), and Chiba, Japan (hosts, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Korea, Poland).