Women’s World Championship Pool Previews: Pool E

The most prestigious event in the international volleyball calendar in the 2025 season, the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship is set to enter a new era later this week, when the 20th edition of the tournament starts in Thailand.

This year’s tournament, which will be held across four cities – Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket and Chiang Mai - from August 22 to September 7, will go down as the first in the new format, which will see the world title put in dispute every two years.

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

The event will also be the first to have an expanded field of 32 national teams, allowing more countries to participate in the sport’s main event and generating more opportunities for them to continue their development.

The 32 national teams were split into eight pools of four and will face each of their three opponents during pool play. The top two national teams in each pool will advance to the elimination rounds, which will feature the Round of 16, the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the medal matches.

Pool play will have as many as 48 matches held in the four host cities between August 22 and 27. For the elimination rounds, the competition moves entirely to Bangkok, which will host the Round of 16 from August 29 to September 1, the quarterfinals on September 3-4, the semifinals on September 6 and the medal matches on September 7.

It will be a historic edition of the World Championship and in the days leading up to the start of the tournament, we’ll preview each of the eight pools, giving you all the information you need to tune in on VBTV and enjoy the matches.

Pool E

Host City: Nakhon Ratchasima

Match Schedule

August 23 – Canada vs. Bulgaria – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 23 – Türkiye vs. Spain – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)
August 25 – Canada vs. Spain – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 25 – Türkiye vs. Bulgaria – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)
August 27 – Türkiye vs. Canada – 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT)
August 27 – Bulgaria vs. Spain – 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT)

Türkiye

Türkiye’s victory in the 2023 European Championship confirmed the country’s presence in the World Championship as the Sultans of the Net claimed one of the three spots reserved for the continent in the tournament. Their first participation in the tournament didn’t happen until 2006, but the Europeans haven’t missed a single edition since then, accumulating five appearances and having a sixth-place finish in 2010 as their best result so far.

The team led by Italian head coach Daniele Santarelli is currently in sixth place in the FIVB World Ranking and will try to win their first medal in the tournament in Thailand. Present in four of the five Turkish appearances in the event, captain Eda Erdem is set to return after getting some rest during the Volleyball Nations League and will join fellow middle blocker Zehra Güneş, opposite Melissa Vargas, outside hitters Ebrar Karakurt and Hande Baladin and setter Cansu Özbay.

Canada

Canada’s participation in the 2025 World Championship was confirmed when the country took bronze in the 2023 NORCECA Championship, qualifying through the continental pathway. The North Americans are set to make their 11^th overall and fifth-straight appearance and had their most successful campaign so far in the most recent of them, in 2022, when they finished tenth.

Italian head coach Giovanni Guidetti is going through his first season with the team and has the Canadians in 12^th place in the FIVB World Ranking after their campaign in the VNL 2025. The team headed to Thailand without star opposite Kiera Van Ryk and setter Brie O’Reilly and will have outside hitter Hilary Johnson, middle blockers Emily Maglio and Nyadholi Thokbuom and opposite Anna Smrek as key players at the World Championship.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria were among the national teams that qualified for the World Championship via the FIVB World Rankings. The Europeans are set to make their 14^th appearance in the tournament after returning following a 12-year absence in 2014 and were a force in the very first editions, finishing fourth in 1952 and fifth four years later.

In the first season under the guidance of legendary former player Antonina Zetova, the Bulgarians rank 20^th in the FIVB World Ranking. Not being able to count on outside hitter Elitsa Vasileva-Atanasijević at the World Championship, the head coach will rely on setter Lora Kitipova, opposite Mikaela Stoyanova and middle blockers Nasya Dimitrova and Hristina Vuchkova to produce a solid campaign in Thailand.

Spain

Spain used the FIVB World Ranking pathway to book their tickets to Thailand and ranked 14^th among the 15 national teams qualified in that process. With that, they’re set to participate in the tournament for just the second time in history, returning more than 40 years after they finished 20^th in 1982.

At the helm since 2012, Pascual Saurín has one of the longest tenures among head coaches in international volleyball right now. Currently appearing in 32^nd place in the FIVB World Ranking, the Europeans count on solid contributions from setter Patricia Muñoz, opposite Julia de Paula, outside hitters Ana Escamilla and Maria Segura and libero Patricia Llabrés to make a strong impression in their return.

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