With the start of Volleyball Nations League 2023 now less than 50 days away, let’s take a look at some of the most exciting matches awaiting the fans during the first competition week in each gender.
VNL 2023
Ten matchups you can’t miss in VNL week one
Published 10:51, 12 Apr 2023
A tense moment in the Italy v Thailand VNL 2022 match
- Watch Volleyball Nations League 2023 on VBTV
Women
Italy v Thailand, May 30 in Antalya
Defending VNL champions Italy will have their 2023 opener against Thailand, a team that sparked a lot of excitement in 2022 with excellent performances in both the VNL and the FIVB Volleyball World Championship. It will be interesting to see how they stand up to the strong European side, who, with or without their big star Paola Egonu, are one of the world’s most powerful teams, ready to pose a threat for any opponent.
Poland v Canada, May 30 in Antalya
Along with the race to make the Finals and the podium, a secondary race between the challenger teams to avoid relegation always stirs additional excitement during the Preliminary Phase. Poland and Canada will be the first challenger teams to engage in a direct duel with each other in VNL 2023 and that already hints at a great battle. The two teams narrowly avoided relegation last year by finishing 13th and 12th, respectively, on the same number of wins as 15th-placed Belgium, who had to say goodbye to the VNL.
Croatia v Bulgaria, May 31 in Nagoya
Along those lines, it will also be interesting to see another two challenger teams open their campaigns with a direct clash against each other. Furthermore, as they take on Balkan rivals Bulgaria, newcomers Croatia will make their much anticipated historic VNL debut, which they earned by winning the Volleyball Challenger Cup last year.
China v Brazil, May 31 in Nagoya
The two mighty nations from Asia and South America are set to go head to head on the very second competition day of VNL 2023. After a very successful decade, during which China claimed the 2016 Olympic title, two FIVB Volleyball World Cup trophies, two World Championship medals and two VNL medals, the Asian powerhouse have yet to show their potential in the 2020s and, who knows, maybe 2023 is the year for it. They open their season with a game against Brazil, silver medallists of the last Olympics in 2021 and of the last three VNL editions, an opponent powerful enough to start off against with a bang.
Serbia v United States, May 31 in Antalya
Two of the best teams in the world will also open their VNL 2023 campaigns with a bang. Reigning back-to-back world champions Serbia will lock horns with reigning Olympic champions USA. The Americans won the first three editions of the VNL, but missed out on the podium last year. The Serbians, on the other hand, had never made the VNL podium until last year, when they finally earned their first bronze. The match will be a remake of one of the 2022 World Championship semifinals, in which the southern Europeans claimed a four-set win over the North Americans.
Japan’s Yuji Nishida spikes against Iran in their VNL 2022 encounter
Men
Japan v Iran, June 6 in Nagoya
It will not only be a home opener for the Japanese team, but also a remake of the last Asian Championship final, played in Japan two years ago, ahead of this year’s edition of the continental competition, set to take place in Iran. Japan and Iran were the first countries to announce their extended national team rosters for the upcoming season, hinting that they are eager to go out there and compete.
Canada v Cuba, June 6 in Ottawa
The first competition day will offer two head-to-head battles between challenger teams, who always have avoiding relegation in mind, in addition to trying to qualify for the Finals. In one of them, an all-NORCECA clash, Canada will open their home campaign in the country’s capital, while Cuba will make their historic debut in the VNL, after winning the Volleyball Challenger Cup last season and earning a promotion among the best 16 teams.
Poland v France, June 7 in Nagoya
Reigning Olympic champions and defending VNL titleholders France are set for a very difficult start of the new season. They will go against the runners-up of last year’s World Championship and the winners of the previous two editions of the premier competition, Poland. Each of the two teams have medalled in three of the first four VNL seasons and will be eager get another successful campaign underway.
Italy v United States, June 8 in Ottawa
Italy played really well in the VNL 2022 Preliminary Phase, qualifying for the Finals as the top team in the standings, but then failed to reach their first podium in the competition, finishing fourth. Later in the season, however, they did more than just make up for it by celebrating the World Championship title. The United States, another team that have medalled in as many as three of the first four VNL seasons, including last year’s with a silver, did not make it past the quarterfinals of the World Championship. As the two powerful squads clash in Ottawa they will both have a lot to play for.
Argentina v Brazil, June 8 in Ottawa
The last time Argentina beat Brazil was in a five-set Tokyo 2020 third place match to take home the Olympic bronze, but then the Brazilians got back at their neighbours with 3-1 victories at both the 2021 South American Championship and in a 2022 World Championship quarterfinal. Who will win this time remains to be seen. Any opportunity to see the two South American giants have a go at each other at any level is not to be missed.
