Strong line-up set to deliver exciting VNL battles in Belgrade

World champions Serbia welcome France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland and USA.

Belgrade is gearing up for an intriguing week of the women`s Volleyball Nations League (VNL). The competition features a challenging pool of six teams – France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, USA, and the home side Serbia – where the outcome of any match is highly unpredictable. However, based on their performance in the initial week of competition, Poland is considered the frontrunner in this group, with Germany and the Netherlands expected to be strong contenders as well.

Each of the six participating teams will play four matches during their time in Belgrade. The schedule for Wednesday and Sunday includes three matches each, while Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will host two games per day.

Poland, who secured bronze medals in the last two VNL editions and are set to host this year’s Finals, arrive in the Serbian capital in fourth place in the current standings, with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, accumulating 10 points. Their strong roster, including notable players like Agnieszka Korneluk, Magdalena Stysiak, and Malwina Smarzek, contributed to their clear wins against Thailand, hosts China, and Belgium in Beijing two weeks ago. Their only defeat came in a closely contested five-set match against Turkiye.

Poland will commence their Belgrade campaign on Wednesday against the Netherlands. This match is scheduled as the second of the day, starting at 16:30 local time (14:30 UTC). The Dutch team competed in Ottawa last week. They recovered from an opening straight-set loss to Japan by securing a four-set victory over hosts Canada. Following a five-set loss to the Dominican Republic, they bounced back again to sweep their final match against Bulgaria. After the first week, the Netherlands hold eighth place with a 2-2 record and 7 points.

Germany began their first week in Rio de Janeiro with a straight-set win over Korea and concluded it with a four-set victory over Czechia. In between these matches, they put up a strong fight against powerful teams Italy and Brazil but ultimately lost to both in tie-breakers. This resulted in a 2-2 record and 8 points for the week, placing them sixth in the standings. For the matches in Belgrade, the team will be reinforced by the experienced setter Mia Kastner.

Belgrade’s opening match on Wednesday at 13:00 (11:00 UTC) will see Germany face France, who are currently in 14th place with a record of 1 win and 3 losses, totaling 3 points. Their sole victory in Beijing was a four-set win against Belgium, amidst losses to Turkiye, China, and Thailand. However, for the matches in Belgrade, the French team will be boosted by the arrival of star opposite Lucille Gicquel and their charismatic captain Helena Cazaute.

In the final match on opening day, scheduled for 20:00 (18:00 UTC), the home team, Serbia, will be challenged by the USA, three-time VNL champions and consistent Olympic medalists since 2008. The Americans are currently ranked 13th with a 1-3 record and 4 points, after suffering straight-set losses to Italy and Brazil and a five-set defeat to Czechia, while securing a shutout win against Korea in their first week pool in Rio. Their young squad is set to receive a positive boost with the addition of players like solid middle blockers Dana Rettke and Brionne Butler.

Playing in front of their home supporters in Belgrade, the reigning world champions Serbia will be looking to secure their first win of VNL 2025. Their revamped team managed to collect three points from five-set matches they lost against the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, and Canada in Ottawa. They were swept by Japan and finished the first week near the bottom of the table, in 17th place. For their home event, the squad has been joined by experienced middle blocker and captain Maja Aleksic.

The VNL Preliminary Phase is spread across three competition weeks, with each of the 18 participating teams playing a total of 12 matches. The eight highest-ranked national teams at the end of the Preliminary Phase will qualify for the Finals, which are scheduled to be held in Lodz, Poland, from July 23 to 27. Poland is automatically guaranteed a spot in the Finals as the host country.