Brazil start strong in Chicago and get to second place

A solid opening-match performance in Chicago has lifted Brazil to second place in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 as the second week of the tournament’s Preliminary Phase started on Wednesday.

Playing at the NOW Arena, the South Americans kept the momentum they created two weeks ago in the first week of the VNL 2025 in Rio de Janeiro and produced a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-17) victory over Canada to get one step closer to the Finals.

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With four victories in five matches, the Brazilians got to 12 points in the VNL standings and now appear in second place, trailing only Poland, who have 13. The South Americans started the week in third place, but benefited from Japan’s 3-0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-19) defeat to Bulgaria in Burgas to pass the Asians.

Opposite Alan Souza was Brazil’s most productive player in the match, leaving the court with 15 points (nine kills, four blocks, two aces). Outside hitter Henrique Honorato also got to double digits in scoring, adding 11 points, with nine kills and two blocks.

“We had a lot of fun on the court today,” Honorato reacted. “It’s the start of the second week, and I’m very proud of the team. We played very well and our game plan worked to perfection. We were a little anxious at the start, but we remained patient and took the win.”

Canadian outside hitter Brodie Hofer continued to perform well in the VNL 2025, contributing 12 points, with 11 kills and an ace. The defeat in Chicago made Canada, which have eight points, drop four spots in the standings, going from sixth to tenth.

USA beat China in the tie-breaker

A few hours after the Brazilian victory, hosts the United States played their first match in front of their home fans this week and showed a lot of grit to beat China 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11).

Outside hitter Jordan Ewert contributed 18 points in the American victory, registering 16 kills and two blocks. Opposite Kyle Ensing delivered 12, with ten kills, one block, and one ace.

Middle blocker Li Yongzhen led the Asian team with 14 points, including an impressive ten blocks, while outside hitter Ji Daoshuai tallied 13, with 12 kills and one block.

The Americans now appear in ninth place with seven points (three wins, two losses), while the Chinese dropped from sixth to 12th, also with seven points, but just two victories.

In the first match of the day in Chicago, Italy topped Poland 3-2 (25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-11), taking down the last undefeated team in the VNL 2025. The Poles continue at the top of the standings with 13 points, while the Italians are fourth with ten.

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

On Thursday, two matches will be held in Chicago, with Brazil and China meeting first, at 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT), and the United States and Canada following, at 19:30 (00:30 GMT, Friday).

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