International stars back for Women’s World Championship as rosters are released

The Volleyball Nations League 2025 is set to reach its climax for the women next week, with the Finals being held in Łódź, Poland, from July 23-27, but with the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship coming in just under six weeks, the 32 national teams that will compete in the event released their 25-player long-list rosters for the tournament.

2025 Women’s World Championship team rosters (subject to eligibility verification to be conducted by the FIVB)

The long lists are formed by up to 25 players per team and serve as the base for the final rosters, which will be finalized one day before the Preliminary Inquiry and can be formed by a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 14 athletes, who should all be included in their long-list roster.

The 2025 Women’s World Championships will be held from August 22 to September 7, in Thailand.

• Watch the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship on VBTV

Although most international stars have already been in action with their national teams during the VNL 2025, some of them who were given some time off during the first months of the international season were included in the long lists, indicating a potential return in Thailand in August.

Defending champions Serbia are among the teams that should benefit the most from returning stars, as longtime national team captain and star setter Maja Ognjenović, who was with the team in the first of their two consecutive World Championship victories in 2018, was included in the long list. Besides her, middle blocker Mina Popović, who was present in their most recent world title campaign in 2022, also made the list and appears as an option for head coach Zoran Terzić.

Paris Olympic silver medalists the United States could also receive a significant boost ahead of their trip to Thailand as star middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu, a Tokyo Olympic champion, and high-scoring outside hitters Khalia Lanier and Alexandra Frantti, who didn’t play in the VNL so far, should all be available for selection to head coach Erik Sullivan after being included in the list.

China is another national team that could count on the return of a key player as they pursue the world title in Asia in a few weeks. The team’s leading scorer in the past few seasons, outside hitter Li Yingying was entered in the team’s long list and should be able to join other veterans such as opposite Gong Xiangyu and middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan in the tournament.

The same goes for Türkiye, which should count on the return of their talismanic captain Eda Erdem, who was given some time off during the VNL. With the 38-year-old veteran, fellow middle blocker Zehra Güneş, opposite Melissa Vargas and outside hitter Ebrar Karakurt, head coach Daniele Santarelli should have the core of the team that won both the VNL and the European Championship back in 2023 back together.

Brazil, which took bronze in Paris, preserved most of their VNL squad intact for the World Championships, having outside hitters Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães and Ana Cristina Souza, opposite Rosamaria Montibeller and setter Macris Carneiro as their main stars, but could have the return of libero Nyeme Nunes, who was out during the first part of the international season after she became a mother – middle blocker Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva did not make the list.

The Netherlands are another team that could see an increase in their level of play during the World Championship due to the return of established veterans, as setter Britt Bongaerts and outside hitters Marrit Jasper and Jolien Knollema and opposite Celeste Plak could all reappear after not getting playing time in the VNL.

Olympic champions Italy have not made any major additions to their current VNL squad, but will continue to have an elite roster in Thailand, featuring ten of the 13 players that helped the country win its first Olympic gold last year in Paris, including opposite Paola Egonu, libero Monica De Gennaro and middle blocker and team captain Anna Danesi.

Asian powerhouse Japan will rely on newly-appointed captain and star outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa to lead a team that will have libero Manami Kojima, opposite Yukiko Wada and middle blocker Ayaka Araki as key pieces.

Poland will field an experienced roster at the World Championships, counting on team captain and middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk, opposite Magdalena Stysiak and outside hitter Martyna Łukasic to have a strong campaign in the event.

Hosts Thailand are also determined to do well in front of their home fans and included star setter Pornpun Guedpard, high-scoring opposite Pimpichaya Kokram and all-around outside hitters Ajcharaporn Kongyot and Chatchu-On Mokrsi in their long list.

Other stars set to appear across the other national teams are Sweden’s Isabelle Haak, Vietnam’s Thi Thanh Thuy, Germany’s Lina Alsmeier, France’s Héléna Cazaute, the Dominican Republic’s Brayelin Martinez, Canada’s Kiera Van Ryk, Bulgaria’s Elitsa Atanasijević and Belgium’s Britt Herbots.

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