The 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball World Championship saw its preliminary phase intensify on the second day, with thrilling matches unfolding across Pools E through H. Eight teams successfully secured victories, as some of the tournament`s leading contenders began to decisively showcase their formidable strength.
Pool E and F Highlights
In Pool E, Canada secured a compelling 3-1 victory against Bulgaria, powered by outside hitter Mitrović`s impressive 17 points. The Canadian squad demonstrated remarkable consistency, effectively recovering after conceding the third set. Simultaneously, the reigning European champions, Türkiye, achieved a dominant 3-0 sweep over Spain. Türkiye`s superiority was evident across all key performance indicators, notably surpassing Spain in kills (43-37), blocks (7-3), and aces (6-5), while also committing fewer errors (16-18). Erkek emerged as Türkiye`s top scorer with 15 points.
Pool F kicked off with the Dominican Republic clinching a convincing straight-set win against Colombia. Outside hitter Brayelin Martínez delivered a dominant performance, tallying 20 points, which granted her team the control needed for a swift match conclusion. Later, China orchestrated a 3-1 comeback victory against Mexico, recovering after an initial set loss. China`s exceptional blocking proved to be the decisive factor, as they outscored their opponents 12-3 at the net. They also led in kills (55-50) and aces (4-2), demonstrating superior efficiency with fewer errors (22-27) following a somewhat sluggish start.
Credit: Volleyball World
Pool G and H Developments
In Pool G, Germany commenced their campaign with a strong 3-0 win against Kenya. Alsmeier and Weske each contributed 13 points, while Kenya`s Sharon Chepchumba Adhiambo stood out with an impressive 19 points, keeping her team competitive in two of the three sets. Poland, after dropping their opening set to Vietnam, rallied powerfully to claim the subsequent three sets. Magdalena Stysiak delivered one of the day`s most exceptional individual performances, scoring an outstanding 29 points, marking the highest tally across all matches.
Pool H witnessed straightforward victories for two of the tournament`s highly favored teams. Japan triumphed over Cameroon with a 3-0 score, with Akimoto leading their offense with 18 points. Defending champions Serbia also initiated their title defense with a decisive 3-0 win against Ukraine. Serbia showcased their overall dominance by outscoring Ukraine in attacks (46-39), blocks (7-2), and aces (6-1). They further benefited from fewer opponent errors, as Ukraine committed 15 compared to Serbia’s 16. Tijana Bošković was the leading scorer for Serbia with 19 points.
While several matches were one-sided, teams such as Mexico and Vietnam valiantly challenged their stronger opponents before ultimately falling short. Powerhouses like Serbia, Türkiye, and China solidified their status as strong contenders for the championship, while individual stars such as Stysiak and Martínez have already made a significant and memorable impact on the tournament.
Credit: Volleyball World
Preliminary Phase Match Results (Pool E – H)
Pool E
- Canada 3 vs Bulgaria 1 (25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18)
- Türkiye 3 vs Spain 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-23)
Pool F
- Dominican Republic 3 vs Colombia 0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-13)
- China 3 vs Mexico 1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-10, 25-18)
Pool G
- Germany 3 vs Kenya 0 (25-22, 25-8, 25-20)
- Poland 3 vs Vietnam 1 (23-25, 25-10, 25-12, 25-22)
Pool H
- Japan 3 vs Cameroon 0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19)
- Serbia 3 vs Ukraine 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-17)
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Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood