In a commanding performance that wrapped up the Preliminary Phase of the Women`s Volleyball Nations League in Chiba, Brazil delivered a swift and merciless 3-0 sweep against host nation Japan. This victory not only solidified Brazil`s position near the top of the standings but also denied Japan a perfect closing week in front of their home crowd.
The Brazilian squad proved too strong, dispatching Japan with set scores of 25-17, 25-18, and 25-20. This emphatic win propelled Brazil`s win-loss record to 11-1 with 31 points, ensuring them at least a second-place finish ahead of the upcoming Finals. Japan concluded the Preliminary Phase in third place with a respectable 9-3 record and 27 points.
Brazil`s offensive charge was led by **Julia Bergmann**, who was the top scorer of the match with 15 points, showcasing an impressive 64% success rate in attack. Team captain and star outside hitter **Gabriela Guimaraes (Gabi)** contributed another 11 points, including the match-winning spike. Opposite **Rosamaria Montibeller** added 10 points, featuring an ace, while experienced setter **Roberta Ratzke** served up four aces, highlighting Brazil`s effectiveness from the service line. For Japan, outside hitter and captain **Mayu Ishikawa** was the sole player to reach double digits, tallying 12 points.
Reflecting on the challenging matchup against Japan, Gabi remarked, “It was a crazy match! It’s super difficult to play against Japan. We have a joke among us that whenever we have to play against Japan, we have to take three or four coffees before that to have some extra caffeine, some extra energy. We need to attack one, two, three times to finish a rally.” She praised her team`s execution: “But it was an important victory. We knew that it would not be easy to play here in Japan, but you could see how the team performed with aggressiveness, having a lot of patience… We did not make many mistakes. Our block-defense system was working well, especially on serve, and, in attack, Roberta could use everyone who played today.” Looking ahead, she added, “This is what we need – the team performing well makes it much easier for us. Now we need to rest a little bit – we’ve had a tough week – and prepare for the Finals. At the Finals, we need to be really aggressive from the start.”
Elsewhere, in Apeldoorn, Belgium concluded their VNL campaign with a 3-1 victory over Czechia. After dropping the first set 19-25, Belgium rallied to take the next three sets with scores of 25-23, 25-17, and 25-21. This win secured Belgium a 14th-place finish in the standings (4-8, 11 points), while VNL rookies Czechia finished in 11th place (5-7, 14 points).
The standout performer in Apeldoorn was Belgian opposite **Pauline Martin**, who delivered a game-high 31 points. Her explosive performance included two kill blocks and an ace, and she notably scored the final three points of the match to seal the victory. Middle blockers **Anna Koulberg** and **Nathalie Lemmens** also made significant contributions with 13 and 11 points, respectively. For Czechia, captain **Michaela Mlejnkova** led the scoring with 16 points, supported by **Helena Grozer** (12 points), **Monika Brancuska** (12 points), and middle blocker **Magdalena Jehlarova**, who was a force at the net with six of the team`s 13 kill blocks, finishing with 10 points overall.
With the Preliminary Phase now complete across Chiba, Apeldoorn, and other host cities, the focus shifts entirely to the highly anticipated VNL Finals.
