Women’s Volleyball World Championship 2025: Quarterfinals Ignite

Netherlands against Japan and Italy against Poland on Wednesday’s program

Paola Egonu of Italy battles Malwina Smarzek of Poland during a VNL 2025 semifinal.

Day 11 marks a significant turning point at the Women`s FIVB Volleyball World Championship 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, as the first quarterfinal matches are set to ignite. The stakes are incredibly high, with two teams poised to claim their spot among the world`s elite top four and advance to the semifinals. The highly anticipated day of competition in the Thai capital will feature an opening clash between the Netherlands and Japan, culminating in a powerful European showdown between Italy and Poland.

Quarterfinal 1: Netherlands v Japan

The first quarterfinal will see the Netherlands take on Japan at 17:00 local time (10:00 UTC). The victor of this encounter will progress to face the winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal between USA and Turkiye in the semifinals.

These two nations have a recent history of competitive matches. In an earlier Volleyball Nations League game in June, Japan secured a dominant 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-15, 25-16) against their European rivals. However, prior to that, the Dutch had won three consecutive VNL meetings against Japan in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Their last World Championship clash in 2022 also resulted in a 3-0 win for the Asian side during the second pool phase.

The Netherlands achieved their best World Championship result in 2018, securing fourth place. Currently ranked eighth in the FIVB World Ranking, the Dutch team advanced to the 2025 quarterfinals following a thrilling five-set victory over reigning champions Serbia in the eighthfinals. They had previously topped Pool A undefeated, starting with a hard-fought five-set win over Sweden, followed by a straight-sets sweep of Egypt, and a nail-biting tie-breaker win against hosts Thailand. Setter Sarah van Aalen has been a standout performer, while outside hitter Nika Daalderop leads the team`s scoring with 67 points across four matches.

Japan boasts a rich history in the Women’s World Championships, with an impressive three titles, three silver medals, and a bronze from 2010. They finished fourth in VNL 2025 and are currently ranked fourth globally. Japan remains undefeated at Thailand 2025. They began their campaign with a straight-sets win over Cameroon, then mounted a comeback from two sets down to defeat Ukraine. In the decisive match for first place, Japan overcame 2018 and 2022 world champions Serbia in four sets. Their eighthfinal match against hosts Thailand resulted in another straight-set victory, propelling them into the quarterfinals. Captain and outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa is Japan’s top scorer in the tournament, accumulating 73 points.

Quarterfinal 2: Italy v Poland

The second semifinalist from the World Championship 2025 will emerge from an intense all-European battle between Italy and Poland, scheduled for 20:30 local time (13:30 UTC). The winner will then prepare to face either Brazil or France in the semifinals on Thursday.

Their most recent encounters include this year’s VNL semifinals in Lodz, where Italy delivered a commanding 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-16, 25-14) over the host nation. Italy also secured a straight-sets win in the VNL 2024 semifinals against Poland, effectively ending Poland`s previous three-game winning streak in their head-to-head series.

Italy stands as the reigning Olympic and VNL champions, holding the number one position in the FIVB World Ranking. Their sole World Championship title dates back to 2002, with additional podium finishes (silver in 2018, bronze in 2022) in the two most recent editions. Remarkably, Italy has maintained an unbroken winning streak of 33 consecutive matches, having not lost an official game in over 15 months (since June 1, 2024). Last week, they effortlessly swept Germany in their eighthfinal match. Earlier in the tournament, Italy dominated Pool B, securing straight-sets victories over Slovakia and Cuba, and a four-set win over Belgium, earning maximum points. Star opposite Paola Egonu has been their most prolific scorer, with a total of 76 points across the four matches.

Poland`s World Championship history includes one silver and two bronze medals, with their last podium appearance occurring 63 years ago in 1962. Currently ranked third globally, Poland fought their way into the quarterfinals through a dramatic five-set eighthfinal against Belgium. In Pool G, they won all three matches but surprisingly dropped sets in each: 3-1 against Vietnam, 3-1 against Kenya, and a nail-biting 3-2 against Germany. Opposite Magdalena Stysiak is their leading scorer, also tallying 76 points across four matches. Middle blocker and captain Agnieszka Korneluk leads the competition`s blocking statistics with 15 stuffs, while rising outside hitter Martyna Czyrnianska tops the best servers chart with 10 aces.

Upcoming Quarterfinal Matches: Wednesday, September 3, 2025

• 17:00 local (10:00 UTC): Netherlands vs. Japan
• 20:30 local (13:30 UTC): Italy vs. Poland