The race for the Women's Club World Championship title begins on Tuesday

Representing six countries, eight of the world's best teams start on Tuesday the race for the title of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazil's Dentil Praia Clube and Osasco São Cristovão Saúde, Egypt’s Zamalek Sporting Club, Italy’s Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano and Savino Del Bene Scandicci, Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu VC, Peru's Club Alianza Lima and USA's Orlando Valkyries are the candidates to be crowned at the Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu at the end of the tournament on Sunday.

• Watch the Club World Championships live on VBTV

The eight teams were split into two pools, with Alianza, Osasco, Scandicci and Zhetysu forming Pool A and Conegliano, Orlando, Praia and Zamalek competing in Pool B. From Tuesday to Thursday, the teams will face their pool opponents, with the top two teams in each group moving forward. After a day off on Friday, the tournament resumes over the weekend, with the semifinals on Saturday and the medal matches on Sunday.

The first day of matches will begin with South American champions Praia facing African continental winners Zamalek at 10:00 local time (13:00 UTC). Later, at 13:30 (16:30 UTC), reigning world champions Conegliano meet first-time participants Orlando.

FIVB Women’s Club World Championship – Match Schedule

The schedule continues into the afternoon, with Asian champions Zhetysu playing CEV Champions League runners-up Scandicci at 17:00 (20:00 UTC). Hosts Osasco end the day at 20:30 (23:30 UTC), facing Alianza, who finished second in the South American Championship this season.

Conegliano looking for their fourth title

The winners of the 2024 edition of the Club World Championship, defending champions Conegliano will be looking for their fourth title (they also won in 2019 and 2022), which would make of them the most successful team in the tournament alongside Turkish giants VakıfBank Istanbul. Led by international stars of the caliber of Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela 'Gabi' Guimarães, Olympic champion libero Monica De Gennaro and Swedish scoring machine Isabelle Haak, the Panthers are in great form in the Italian League, having won all 14 matches they played so far, and arguably the strongest candidates to triumph in São Paulo.

"I'm very happy to be able to play such an important tournament in Brazil," Gabi said. "It will be the first time for many people in my family, and friends will get to watch me play for Conegliano. Our goal is the same as ever; we want to win, but I think it will be harder than last year. The Club World Championship is a fascinating tournament, which makes you adjust to completely different volleyball styles every day. It's very exciting, and an opportunity to grow and learn something new."

Hosts Osasco are the only team besides Conegliano to have won the Club World Championship before - returning to the tournament for the first time since 2017, they won the title back in 2012. The only player in the world champion squad to continue with the team, which is currently in third place in the Brazilian Superliga, libero Camila Brait is one os their stars, alongside Argentine opposite Bianca Cugno and American setter Jenna Gray.

"We're very excited for the Club World Championship and we'll fight hard to win every match," Brait remarked.

Fellow Brazilians Praia are one of just three teams to have played in 2024 that return this season - they will make their seventh appearance and finished fourth on three occasions before, but are yet to win a medal. Ranked fifth in the Brazilian Superliga, they have Olympic champion middle blocker Adenízia Ferreira and Olympic medalists Macris Carneiro (setter) and Natália 'Natinha' Araújo (libero) as their most popular players - Olympic medalist middle blocker Carol Gattaz is out due to an injury.

African champions Zamalek are also back, looking to improve on the seventh-place finish they got in China last year. The three-time African champions kept some of their last year's starters, such as opposite Eassa Toqaallah and libero Icel Nadim, but also added new faces, including Croatian outside hitter Matea Magdić, who brings a wealth of experience to the team.

The team Praia defeated in the South American Club Championship final, Alianza is set to become the first Peruvian side to compete at the Club World Championship. Currently undefeated at the top of the Peruvian League standings, they rely on an interesting trio of international players formed by Colombian setter María Alejandra Marín, Argentine outside hitter Elina Rodríguez and French opposite Maëva Orlé to cause upsets in their debut in the tournament.

Italian giants Scandici will compete at the World Championship for the first time this week in Brazil. Chasing Conegliano for the top spot in the Italian League standings, they have one of the most prolific scorers in international volleyball in Olympic champion opposite Ekaterina Antropova and first-class standouts in other positions, such as Serbian Olympic medalist setter Maja Ognjenović and Dominican star setter Brenda Castillo.

Zhetysu are also first-timers in the event, having qualified due to their first-ever victory at the Asian Club Championship. In top form in the Kazakhstan national league with 14 victories in as many matches, they have several players who represented rivals Altay VC in the 2020 edition of the Club World Championship, such as middle blocker Kristina Anikonova, libero Madina Beket and Russian outside hitter Kristina Belova.

Invited to take part in the event as the replacement for the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League runners-up after teams from the Asian continent could not confirm their participation, Orlando will also compete for the world title for the first time. The reigning Major League Volleyball (formerly Pro Volleyball Federation) champions have Serbian two-time world champion libero Teodora Pušić, Puerto Rican opposite Brittany Abercrombie and middle blocker Kazmiere Brown as some of their most experienced players.

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