Brazil grind to continue undefeated ahead of the duel against Italy

Brazil had to work hard to get to their last match of the opening week of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 against Italy undefeated, but after five sets and exciting moments, the South Americans got the job done.

Pushed by thousands of fans who packed the Maracanãzinho stadium on Saturday, the Brazilians came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Germany in the tie-breaker and claim their third victory in Pool 2. A few hours later, Czechia topped Korea in another five-setter to claim their second victory in the VNL 2025.

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After winning the first set by the slimmest of margins, the home team saw the Germans come back and take a 2-1 lead. Ignited by their fans, Brazil found their best game to finish strong and secure a 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-8) victory to continue undefeated.

Two-time Olympic medalist Ana Cristina Souza was Brazil’s top scorer for a third-straight time in the VNL 2025, leaving the court with a match-high 21 points (18 kills, two blocks, one ace). Fellow outside hitter Julia Begmann and middle blocker Lorena Viezel tallied 15 points each, while opposite Jheovana Emanuele had a great performance off the bench, delivering 14 points.

“The players who came off the bench brought a great energy to the court and contributed a lot,” Bergmann said. “It was Jheovana’s first time with the starters and she was amazing. We had some ups and downs, but finished strong and won the tie-breaker by a solid margin. The fans cheered us on every play and gave us a lot of energy too.”

On the German side, outside hitter Lina Alsmeier and opposite Emilie Weske were the most productive, with 17 points each, while outside hitter Maria Tabacuks added 15.

Czechia win another tie-breaker

Still motivated by their impressive victory against the United States on Friday, VNL rookies Czechia secured another triumph in the tournament. The Europeans came back twice to overcome Korea 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-9, 15-9) and improve their campaign in Rio to two victories and one loss.

Opposite Monika Brancuská had, again, a key role in a Czech win in the VNL, leading the team's scoring efforts with 17 points (14 kills, three blocks). Middle blocker Magdalena Jehlarová also had a strong performance, contributing 15 points, with 12 kills and three blocks.

The Koreans, who claimed their first point in the VNL 2025 standings with the two sets won against the Czechs, saw their captain and outside hitter Sohwi Kang produce a 17-point (16 kills, one block) performance, while opposite Seonwoo Lee added 15 (11 kills, two blocks, two aces).

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

Sunday, the last day of the women’s VNL at Maracanãzinho, will have three matches. Brazil and Italy will get the day started at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT), with Czechia and Germany meeting later, at 13:30 (16:30 GMT), and Korea and the United States completing the schedule at 17:00 local time (20:00 GMT).

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