Seven teams booked their spots in the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship eighthfinals on Sunday in Croatia and Serbia. Germany and Mexico from Pool A, Serbia from Pool B, Bulgaria, USA and Türkiye from Pool C, and Belgium from Pool D progressed in the competition and joined the seven that had already qualified on Friday – Croatia, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Poland, Italy, China and Japan – leaving only two more vacancies up for grabs on Monday.
FIVB Girls' U19 World Championship 2025
Another seven teams advance to U19 eighthfinals
Only two remaining vacancies among the best 16 up for grabs on Monday
Published 10:03, 06 Jul 2025
Co-hosts Serbia outplayed Argentina to book an eighthfinal spot
- Watch the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship on VBTV
Pool A
Germany and Mexico joined co-hosts Croatia in qualifying for the eighthfinals from Pool A on Sunday, while all three remaining teams – Thailand, Egypt and Canada – are still in the running for one remaining berth.
In the first match of the day, Mexico boosted their chances of proceeding to the eighthfinals after defeating Canada in straight sets, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-18), on Sunday. The victory lifted Mexico to third place in the pool on a 2-2 win-loss record and 6 points. Canada, now on 1-3 and 3, have to beat Germany and hope other results favor them to qualify for the eighthfinals. It was a combined team effort that handed Mexico the crucial win with three players returning 10 points each - outside hitters Isabella Annie Ocampo (7 spike kills, 1 kill block, 2 aces) and Angelica Jazmin Torres Galvan (9, 0, 1), as well as middle blocker Aitana Rettke Tanguma (7, 3, 0). Canada’s outside hitter Sofia Zabjek topped the scorers charts with 13 points (10, 2, 1).
Croatia maintained their unbeaten run at the World Championship after recording a 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-15) sweep over Egypt in Osijek on Sunday. That result also stamped Mexico’s flight to the eighthfinals. The victory over the North Africans left the co-hosts top of Pool A on 11 points from four consecutive wins. Egypt, on the other hand, are on 1-3 and 3 ahead of their last Pool A match against Mexico on Monday. Once again, opposite Asja Zolota led Croatia with a game-high 16 points (14, 1, 1), while Gena Mohamed was Egypt’s best performer with 9 points, all from attack.
Germany all but confirmed their place in the round of 16 with a 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-17, 25-14) win over Thailand on Sunday. The Europeans improved their points tally to 10 drawn from a 3-1 win-loss record after dominating the Asians in attack, blocking and serving. Thailand, on 1-4 and 3 points, will face off with hosts Croatia on Monday. It was in blocking that the Germans excelled the most, registering 12 stuff blocks to Thailand’s 1, with middle blocker Franziska Heil and outside hitter Maria Tabacuks contributing 5 and 4 points, respectively, to this statistic. However, it’s their teammate, opposite Marika Loker, who emerged top scorer with 22 points (19, 1, 2). Thailand’s opposite Natthawan Phatthaisong returned 12 points (10, 0, 2). Outside hitter Wisaruta Sengna added another 12 points (11, 0, 1) for the losing side.
Pool B
On Sunday in Vrnjacka Banja, co-hosts Serbia qualified for the eighthfinals from Pool B. With Brazil and Chinese Taipei having already claimed another two spots, the remaining vacancy will be settled on Monday with Puerto Rico and Argentina still in contention.
Puerto Rico won the Caribbean derby with Dominican Republic to score their first victory of the World Championship. In a Pool B fixture to open the competition day in Vrnjacka Banja, Puerto Rico produced a 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-19) victory over the still winless Dominican Republic to improve to 1-3 and 5 and stay well in contention for a spot in the eighthfinals. The Puerto Ricans capitalized on the abundant unforced errors by the opponents to secure success in the game, while led by Diangelie Gonzalez and Johnnyeshka Carrasquillo in scoring with 12 points apiece, all in swings. Ambar Avril Hernandez was Dominican Republic’s top scorer with 11 points (10, 0, 1). After the pool stage, her team will continue in the playoffs for the 17th place.
Serbia secured advancement to the eighthfinals with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 25-19) victory over Argentina as the Sunday competition day unfolded in Vrnjacka Banja. The co-hosts improved to 3-1 and 9, enough for a spot among the top three in the final Pool B standings. On 1-3 and 2, Argentina still have a shot at surpassing Puerto Rico for the fourth place. Outside Anja Miovcic spearheaded Serbia with a match-high 18 points (16, 2, 0). With 15 points each, opposite Paula Tomasa (13, 2, 0) and outside and captain Julieta Arianne Ruelli (13, 0, 2) were Argentina’s most prolific scorers. On Monday, Argentina will take on Dominican Republic, while Puerto Rico will finish their pool campaign against Chinese Taipei.
Already qualified Brazil and Chinese Taipei offered a thrilling five-set battle to end Sunday’s competition day in Serbia. In the tie-breaker, the Asian team denied a double match point for Brazil, before the South Americans converted their next to a 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 20-25, 16-14) victory, which kept them undefeated on top of the pool table. On 3-1 and 8, Chinese Taipei are third, below Serbia on point ratios. Brazil piled up an out-of-this-world 23 kill blocks to overcome the tough opponents. Eight of those were delivered by middle Lara Gabriele Rodrigues Almeida. Opposite Luize Da Silva Tavares was the best scorer of the match with 22 points (15, 6, 1). Che Pin-Yu put away a team-high 20 points (18, 0, 2) for Chinese Taipei.
Pool C
Bulgaria, USA and Türkiye claimed the three eighthfinal vacancies in Pool C to join pool leaders Poland in qualifying among the top 16 of the World Championship and leave Spain and Peru in the playoffs for the 17th place.
Poland maintained a firm grip on the top spot in Pool C following a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-15) rout of Peru at the Gradski Vrt Hall in Osijek on Sunday. The Poles, who are unbeaten in four matches, have 11 points ahead of their last Pool C match against Spain on Monday. Peru, who are yet to win a game, are out of contention for a place in the eighthfinals even if they beat Bulgaria in their last pool match. Outside hitter Dominika Mrozek led Poland with 9 points (8, 1, 0) while teammate Liliana Wojcik added another 9 (6, 1, 2). Peru replied through their captain Waleska Toro Zoltanski, who returned a game-high 11 points, all from attack.
After two consecutive losses, Türkiye bounced back with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-14) win over Spain on Sunday and booked their berth in the eighthfinals. The Turks had a sluggish start and had to rally from a set down before defeating their fellow Europeans, making use of a fantastic 15 aces in the match, the most a team has scored in a single game at the tournament so far. The 2023 silver medalists are now on 2-2 and 6 heading into their last Pool C match against defending champions USA on Monday. Meanwhile, Spain remain on 1-3 and 3. 15-year-old outside hitter Aylin Uysalcan returned a game-high 16 points (11, 1, 4) to seal Türkiye’s important win. Captain Ines Losada Gordaliza was Spain’s top scorer for the fourth consecutive game with 14 points (13, 0, 1).
Bulgaria handed defending champions USA their second loss of the World Championship after edging them out by 3-2 (25-15, 16-25, 27-25, 13-25, 15-5) in Osijek’s closing match on Sunday. With this result, both the European champions and the Americans confirmed their places in the round of 16. Bulgaria are second in the pool table on 3-1 and 7. USA stand third on 2-2 and 8, leaving Türkiye in fourth on 2-2 and 7. Outside hitter Kalina Veneva of Bulgaria posted a game-high 18 points (16, 0, 2), while her US counterpart Suliane Davis replied with 17 points (12, 3, 2).
Pool D
At the end of Sunday’s first match in Pool D, it was already clear that Belgium had claimed the fourth remaining vacancy from that pool to join Italy, China and Japan into the eighthfinals, while Tunisia and Chile would continue their World Championship campaigns in the race for the 17th place.
Belgium fought off an assertive Tunisia to put together a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-20) sweep, which proved sufficient for booking the last remaining ticket from Pool D to the eighthfinals, while leaving the African team definitively below the cut-off, along with Chile. With 45 successful spikes against 23, the Belgian attackers were the main contributors to the team’s victory. Individually, opposite Mila Vlahovic chipped in with the most points – 16 (13, 2, 1), while her counterpart and captain Sinda Ben Hamida led Tunisia with 9 points (8, 1, 0).
Japan got back on the winning track at the Trstenik hall near Vrnjacka Banja with an emphatic 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-10) shutout of Chile to improve to 3-1 and 10, while the South Americans are yet to win a set at the World Championship. Outside Yuzuki Baba led the way with 13 points (7, 2, 4). Outside and captain Aina Grimalt scored 9 points (8, 1, 0) and once again emerged as Chile’s top scorer of the match.
Two already qualified teams locked horns in the last match of the day in a quest to remain undefeated. Italy were the team to achieve it as they produced a 3-1 (13-25, 28-26, 27-25, 25-17) come-from-behind victory over China to stay on top of the table on 4-0 and 12. China dropped to third place, below Japan, on 3-1 and 8. Italy put up a total of 15 kill blocks against their Asian opponents with middles Alessandra Talarico and Veronica Quero authoring a combined total of 11 between the two. Ludovica Tosini chipped in with a match-high 19 points (18, 1, 0), while Zhai Yurui was China’s leading scorer with 17 (11, 4, 2).
