VNL 2026

Philippines, Thailand and Turkiye ready to host second week in women’s VNL 2026

Action resumes on Wednesday – all live on VBTV!

Published 10:47, 16 Jun 2026

China (CHN) vs. Thailand (THA) - Pool 3 - Preliminary Phase #105881915

Thailand’s Thatdao Nuekjang

The second competition week in the women’s Volleyball Nations League 2026 is about to serve off on Wednesday with Pasig City in the Philippines, Bangkok in Thailand and Ankara in Turkiye hosting a total of 36 matches.

Watch the Volleyball Nations League 2026 on VBTV

Each of the 18 participating teams will play another four games this week, while the match schedule in each of the three pools features three games on Wednesday, two each on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and another three on Sunday. The ongoing race is for the top seven spots in the final Preliminary Phase standings after week three, which will guarantee advancement to the Finals in China.

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Four of the top five teams get together in Pasig City

Pasig City is set to welcome the teams of Czechia, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Serbia and USA, which means that four of the top five teams in the current VNL standings after the first week will get together in the Philippines for the second.

Japan are one of the two undefeated teams in the competition. Standing second in the table, they will open their Pasig City week with a game against Serbia on Wednesday at 20:00 local time (12:00 UTC). Serbia are in 12^th place on a 1-3 win-loss record.

Reigning VNL, Olympic and world champions Italy, who stand third on 3-1, had their amazing 39-match winning streak interrupted by Brazil in their last game of the first week, so they will be eager to start piling up a new one in the Philippines this week. Their first match in the Philippines is against Czechia, serving off at 16:00 (08:00) on Wednesday. Also on 3-1, but one point short of Italy, Czechia occupy fourth place in the standings.

In the opening game in Pasig City, set to get the second VNL week underway at 12:00 (04:00), fifth-placed USA will take on the Dominican Republic. The Americans are on 3-1 as well, while their opponents are still winless at the very bottom of the table.

The two most anticipated games in the Philippines are certainly those between USA and Italy on Saturday at 16:00 (08:00), and between Japan in Italy in Sunday’s closing fixture at 20:00 (12:00).

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Thailand to look for season’s first win at home in Bangkok

Poland, bronze medalists of the previous three VNL editions, are the highest-placed and the highest-ranked team set to compete in Bangkok this week. Hosts Thailand will also be in the company of Bulgaria, Canada, the Netherlands and Ukraine as the week unfolds in their capital.

In Wednesday’s opener, Canada and the Netherlands will lock horns at 13:00 local time (06:00 UTC). The two teams are neighbors in the table on 2-2 each. The North Americans are eighth on 7 points, while the Dutch are ninth on 6.

The world’s number three team Poland, running just above them, in seventh place on 3-1, will take on Bulgaria, the youngest team of the competition. The southern Europeans stand third from the bottom, in 16^th place on 1-3. The match will serve off at 17:00 (10:00).

The first competition day in Bangkok will conclude with hosts Thailand entertaining VNL rookies Ukraine at 20:30 (13:30). The Thais will be looking for the first win of the season as they are still on 0-4 and stand second from the bottom. The Ukrainians already had their historic first win and stand two positions higher, in 15^th place on 1-3.

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Undefeated table leaders Brazil travel to Ankara

Current table leaders Brazil (4-0) will travel to Turkiye for the second competition week. The pool in Ankara also features the home team, Belgium, China, France and Germany.

Finals hosts China, who are in sixth place on 3-1, will open Ankara for VNL business at 12:30 local time (09:30 UTC) on Wednesday with a game against Germany. The European team is in 13^th place on 1-3.

14^th-placed France, also on 1-3, will be the first team to challenge last year’s silver medalists Brazil in the Turkish capital as they go head to head at 16:00 (13:00).

Mighty Turkiye won only two of their first four matches in VNL 2026 and stand 11^th on 2-2, so they have some catching up to do in front of the home crowd in Ankara this week. Their first opportunity to climb up the table will come with Wednesday’s closing match between them and Belgium, who are just above them in the standings on set ratios, in 10^th place. The game is scheduled at 19:30 (16:30).

In one of the big games of the week, Brazil will meet China on Saturday at 16:00 (13:00). The week’s closing match will be between Turkiye and China on Sunday at 19:30 (16:30).