This victory secures Poland`s spot in the Round of 16, where they will face Belgium, while Germany is set to play against Italy.
Concluding the pool phase of the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship on Wednesday, European powerhouses Poland and Germany delivered arguably the tournament`s most thrilling match in Phuket. Ultimately, the Polish team emerged victorious after five intense sets.
The world`s third-ranked FIVB team managed to save multiple German match points across two different sets, ultimately securing a 3-2 victory (21-25, 25-15, 19-25, 28-26, 19-17) and remaining undefeated through the end of pool play.
This win also granted Poland the top position in Pool G with eight points, thereby avoiding a confrontation with Italy in the Round of 16. They are scheduled to play Belgium instead, while Germany will face the Olympic champions in the initial phase of the elimination rounds, with both matches scheduled for Saturday in Bangkok.
Key Players
Star opposite Magdalena Stysiak was instrumental in Poland`s hard-earned victory, leading all scorers with 26 points (23 kills, three blocks) and delivering crucial performances at key junctures of the match. Two other vital team members, outside hitter Martyna Łukasic and middle blocker Agniezska Korneluk, contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
“It was truly challenging,” commented libero Aleksandra Szczygłowska. “I believe we needed a victory like this to boost our confidence. We stood united during the difficult moments and understand that we can achieve much more when we play with such synergy. Our objective here is to win the tournament, so we must be prepared to face the top teams and take significant strides forward.”
For Germany, outside hitter Lina Alsmeier spearheaded the offense with 19 points (17 kills, one block, one ace), closely followed by opposite Emilia Weske, who recorded 18 points (16 kills, one block, one ace).
“It was an incredible match, and it`s truly regrettable that we lost it,” reflected outside hitter Antonia Stautz. “At this level, we cannot afford to squander opportunities to close out matches, as we did today. Italy will be an extremely formidable opponent, and we`ll need to perform a hundred times better against them.”
Match Statistics
In a tightly contested match, Germany`s higher error count (33 versus 22) ultimately proved too costly. Despite outperforming Poland in kills (71 to 61) and blocks (12 to 11), they failed to secure the win. The Polish team demonstrated greater effectiveness from the service line, delivering seven aces compared to their opponents` three.
Phuket also saw Kenya secure their first tournament victory on Wednesday, as the African team defeated Vietnam 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18), claiming three points and concluding their pool play in third place with a win.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick