Alan is the difference as Brazil beat Italy in five-set battle

Volleyball powerhouses Brazil and Italy starred in one of the most exciting matches of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 so far on Saturday and, after five sets and a lot of back-and-forth in Chicago, the South Americans came out on top.

Determined to continue at the top of the VNL 2025 standings after getting there on Thursday, the Brazilians contained two strong pushes from the world champions to triumph 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 33-31, 17-25, 15-13) at the NOW Arena.

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The two points earned with the victory keep, at least temporarily, Brazil in first place in the VNL standings, with 17 points (six wins, one loss) – they can, however, be passed by Poland, who have 15 and face the United States in the last match of the day, scheduled for 19:30 local time (00:30 GMT, Sunday). The point earned with the five-set defeat also helped Italy keep their spot, as the Europeans continue in third place, now with 14 points (five wins, two losses).

One of the most experienced players in the Brazilian squad that competes in the VNL 2025, 31-year-old opposite Alan Souza embraced the responsibility of leading the team in arguably their toughest match in the tournament so far, delivering a whopping 31 points (26 kills, four blocks, one ace) on Saturday and tying for the most productive performance in the VNL 2025.

“This victory is super important because we know they have a very good team, and we’re just getting started as a team,” Alan reflected. “I think today’s performance shows we can play at a very high level. I feel confident to play my best game now, and the team has been helping me a lot.”

Brazil could also count on their outside hitter duo to put the ball down, as while 21-year-old Lukas Bergmann tallied 15 points (13 kills, one block, one ace), 28-year-old Henrique Honorato added 14 (nine kills, three aces, two blocks).

Italian opposite Yuri Romanò also played a solid match on Saturday, producing a team-high 24 points, with 19 kills, four aces and one block. Outside hitters Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia contributed 18 and 16 points, respectively.

“I thought we played well, but it’s always tough against Brazil,” Romanò said. “It’s a pity because we did a good job and the match could have gone our way. But we’ll come back stronger.”

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

Brazilians and Italians will be back on the court on Sunday, the last day of VNL matches in Chicago. The South Americans will have a direct battle against Poland, at 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), while the Europeans will meet hosts the United States, at 19:30 (00:30 GMT, Monday). Earlier, at 12:30 (17:30 GMT), China and Canada will play their last match at the NOW Arena.

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