All you need to know about the VNL 2023 Finals contenders

The Volleyball Nations League 2023 will come to an end for the women this week, when the eight best national teams from the Preliminary Phase will fight for the title of the fifth edition of the tournament in Arlington, the United States.

Eight matches held from Wednesday, July 12, to Sunday, July 16, will determine the final positions of Poland, the United States, Türkiye, Brazil, China, Italy, Japan and Germany, the eight sides that made the trip to Texas.

• Watch Volleyball Nations League 2023 Finals live on VBTV

Each team had their own journey to Arlington, but all of them featured big wins, outstanding individual performances and exciting matches since the first serve of the VNL 2023, back on May 30.

Here’s all you need to know about the eight teams that will battle for the title this week:

Poland

Ranked seventh in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking, Poland were the best team in the VNL 2023 Preliminary Phase, ending their campaign with ten wins in 12 matches – their only defeats came by the hands of the Netherlands and the United States and the Europeans had a six-match winning streak to start the tournament.

The team of second-year head coach Stefano Lavarini had great success without using star setter and team captain Joanna Wolosz, who also won't appear in the Finals. Two Polish individual standouts in the Preliminary Phase were opposite Magdalena Stysiak, who leads the VNL in scoring with 242 points and middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk, the top blocker among the women with 43 points.

USA

The United States started the VNL 2023 already guaranteed in the Finals but that didn’t slow the reigning Olympic champions down as they had the second-best campaign of the Preliminary Phase with ten wins – only Asian powerhouses Japan and China were able to stop the Americans in the first three weeks of action.

Head coach Karch Kiraly heavily rotated the squad during the three weeks of the Preliminary Round and had Olympic champion setter Micha Hancock working with different hitters the entire time – among the new faces, outside hitters Avery Skinner and Khalia Lanier emerged as the most promising ones. The FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking leaders could have the addition of veteran Jordan Larson in the Finals after she returned to the national team for the first time since the American victory at the Tokyo Olympics.

Türkiye

The first months of head coach Daniele Santarelli ahead of the Turkish national team have been promising as the Europeans ranked third in the VNL 2023 Preliminary Phase with nine victories in 12 matches – they are currently in fifth place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking.

The debut of opposite Melissa Vargas with the Turkish national team was one of the storylines of the VNL Preliminary Phase and the Cuban-born player didn’t disappoint, leading the team in scoring with 162 points. Middle blockers Eda Erdem and Zehra Gunes also were in solid form, with each of them tallying 30 blocks in the first phase of the tournament.

Brazil

The runners-up of the last three editions of the VNL, Brazil are back in the Finals to try to win their first title. Currently in third place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking, the South Americans had eight victories in eight matches during the Preliminary Phase, finishing in fourth place.

Head coach José ‘Zé Roberto’ Guimarães had the long-waited return of star middle blocker Thaisa Menezes to the team – the 36-year-old, two-time Olympic champion produced 70 kills, 20 blocks and six aces in her first eight international matches since 2018. Middle blocker Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva, with 32 blocks, and setter Macris Carneiro, with 124 successful sets, were two other individual standouts.

**Volleyball Nations League 2023: full schedule and results**

China

Despite the absence of star outside hitter Zhu Ting, China safely navigated the VNL 2023 Preliminary Phase, finishing fifth with eight victories. The Asians are currently in sixth place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking.

Star outside hitter Li Yingying carried the team’s offense in their first 12 matches, ranking second in points scored (240) and first in kills (214) in the entire VNL – she was also third in passes, with 76. Setter Diao Linyu was another Chinese player in top form, having the third-highest mark of 251 successful sets.

Italy

Defending champions Italy overcame a difficult start in the VNL 2023 Preliminary Phase, winning seven of their last eight matches, and finished sixth with eight victories, earning the right of defending the title they won in 2022. The reigning European champions are currently in second place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking.

Italy didn’t have several of their key players in the Preliminary Phase, including star opposite Paola Egonu, setter Alessia Orro and outside hitters Elena Pietrini and Caterina Bosetti. Some younger players made good use of their extended playing time, most notably opposite Sylvia Nwakalor, who ranked fourth in points scored (236), and setter Francesca Bosio, who was fifth in successful sets (207).

Japan

Asian powerhouse Japan will compete for the VNL 2023 title after they finished the Preliminary Phase in seventh place with seven victories in 12 matches. The eighth-placed national team in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking will try to improve from their fourth-place finish in 2021.

Outside hitter and team captain Sarina Koga was one of the Japanese standouts as she registered 199 points during the Preliminary Phase, including the tournament’s second-best mark of 17 aces. Setter Nanami Seki (200 successful sets) and libero Minami Nishimura (151 digs and 67 passes) also had good production in the first weeks of the tournament.

Germany

Germany are set to make their first appearance in the VNL Finals after the Europeans claimed the eighth and last spot in Top Eight with seven victories – the Germans won five of their first six matches in the tournament, paving the way for their successful campaign, and occupy the 11^th place in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking.

The German trajectory had several individual standouts, including the team’s top scorer, outside hitter Hanna Orthmann, who registered 202 points, setter Pia Kästner, second in successful sets (264), libero Anna Pogany, third in digs (168), and middle blocker Camilla Weitzel, third in aces (16).

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