After 96 matches, the Women’s Volleyball Nations League field delivered top-notch action and gripping storylines from all 16 teams. And now, just eight competitors remain. We look at the power rankings of the eight squads and the quarterfinal matchups happening at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas in the United States from July 12 to 13.
VNL 2023
Women’s VNL Power Rankings: Final 8
The 2023 Women’s VNL field has gone from 16 down to eight, see which teams made the quarterfinals and know more on the exciting matchups
Published 05:20, 03 Jul 2023
This year, the eight finalists are hosts United States, Poland, Türkiye, China, Brazil, Italy, Japan and Germany. Only three teams – United States, Türkiye and Brazil - have made it to the Finals in all five editions. Germany are the only team that will be making its debut in the final round, as China, Italy, Japan and Poland have at least one Final 8 appearance in previous editions.
All-European clash to decide first semifinal berth
#1 Poland vs #8 Germany - July 12 at 21:00 UTC | 14:00 local
Winner will play Brazil or China in the SF
Poland topped the preliminary round standings, winning 10 of their 12 matches over the course of three weeks, while Germany managed to secure eighth place with seven wins, earning the victories mostly in the first two weeks.
Poland will be making their VNL Finals appearance for the second time after reaching the final round in 2019. Coach Stefano Lavarini worked his genius ways to bring it all together for Poland, as they have displayed their best ever performance in the tournament thus far.
Germany, on the other hand, entered the Final 8 for the first time under the guidance of Vital Heynen, who knows the ropes of guiding a team to victory. Their most impressive performance in the tournament would probably be their five-set win over Japan in Brasilia.
These two squads met each other once previously on June 29, when Poland overcame Germany 3-2 (15-25, 25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 17-15) in Suwon. These two sides will meet again to open the quarterfinal round on July 12 at 16:00 local time (21:00 UTC).
USA play Japan in first home hurdle in quest for fourth title
#2 United States vs #7 Japan- July 12 at 00:30 UTC next day | 19:30 local
Winner will play Türkiye or Italy in the SF
VNL record winners United States begin their quest for an unprecedented fourth title against Japan, as they take on the Asian powerhouse squad in Arlington, a stronghold for the North American side.
Team USA showed their mastery in the tournament, reaching the Finals for the fifth consecutive time, while Japan made it to their third consecutive VNL Finals.
They missed the podium last year since winning the first three titles. USA collected 10 victories in the preliminary round to place second behind Poland, while Japan won seven matches to place seventh in the preliminary round standings.
In the preliminary round, USA’s two losses were against Asian squads – Japan and China – both five-set thrillers. Japan handed them their first loss 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 15-6) in Brasilia. They will meet in the quarterfinals on July 12 at 19:30 (00:30 UTC next day).
Brazil and China revive VNL Finals rivalry in 2023
#4 Brazil vs #5 China - July 13 at 15:30 UTC | 10:30 local
Winner will play Poland or Germany in the SF
Brazil and China are renewing their rivalry in the VNL Finals this year, as they play the third quarterfinal match on July 13. In the inaugural edition of the VNL in 2018, these two squads met in the semifinals, where China beat Brazil in straight sets.
Brazil and China held identical win records after the preliminary round with eight wins. Brazil have made three consecutive runners-up finishes in the VNL and have been in the Finals in all editions.
As for China, after winning back-to-back bronze medals in the first two editions, they are seeking to win another medal after making an early exit in the tournament in 2021 and missing the final four cut in 2022.
These two met on the second day of the VNL competition in Nagoya, where China edged Brazil in the tiebreaker (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12). Their quarterfinal playoff matchup will be on July 13 at 10:30 (15:30 UTC).
Title defense on the line for Italy in clash with Türkiye
#3 Türkiye vs #6 Italy- July 13 at 19:00 UTC | 14:00 Local
Winner will play United States or Japan in the SF
Italy puts title defense on the line with a huge test in their matchup with Türkiye on July 13 to complete the semifinals cast. Italy have been in the VNL Finals in 2019 and 2022, while Türkiye have reached the Finals of all five editions.
Italy finished sixth after the preliminaries, winning eight matches. They are looking to win back-to-back VNL titles after becoming the second team to win the VNL title last year, beating Brazil in the gold medal match.
Türkiye ranked third in the 2023 VNL preliminaries after producing nine victories. They made the podium twice – first was in 2018 when they won silver and then the second time was in 2021 with a bronze medal finish.
The last encounter between these two squads was in Antalya, where hosts Türkiye beat visiting side Italy in straight sets. Their matchup in the quarterfinals on July 13 at 14:00 (19:00 UTC) will decide which team will take the final semifinal spot.
The semifinals will take place on July 15 at 16:00 (21:00 UTC) and 19:30 (00:30 UTC next day). The medal matches will be on July 16 with the bronze medal match at 14:00 (19:00 UTC) and the gold medal match at 17:30 (22:30 UTC).
