The Women's Volleyball Nations League concluded its second competition week with a day full of dramatic comebacks, tie-breaks, and significant changes in the standings. Six of the nine matches on the final day went to a decisive fifth set, and the biggest sensation was delivered by Germany, who handed undefeated Brazil its first loss so far. Bulgaria, on the other hand, achieved an extremely valuable victory against Ukraine and finishes the second tournament in 16th place, maintaining real chances of staying in the elite before the final week in Belgrade.

Bulgaria finished the tournament with an important victory.

The most important result for Bulgarian fans came in Bangkok, where Marcelo Abbondanza's proteges defeated debutant Ukraine and recorded their second success in the VNL. The victory allowed Bulgaria to gather 5 points and conclude the week in 16th place in the standings.
The outcomes of the other matches also proved favorable for our national team. The Dominican Republic dramatically lost to the Czech Republic, and France conceded to Belgium, which left both teams behind Bulgaria in the standings.

Czech Republic \u2013 Dominican Republic 3:2(17:25,24:26,25:18,31:29,15:10)

The Czechs orchestrated one of the most impressive comebacks since the start of the tournament. After trailing 0:2 in sets, they managed to snatch the dramatic fourth set with a score of 31:29 and completely changed the course of the match.
Brancuska scored 28 points for the winners, and Jehlarova added another 14. For the Dominican Republic, Heredia finished with 17 points.
The success also proved important for Bulgaria, as it left the Dominicans behind the Bulgarian team in the standings.

Belgium France 3:2(25:17,20:25,21:25,25:18,15:8)

Belgium achieved a comeback from 1:2 in sets and secured their third victory in the VNL. The huge difference in unforced errors proved decisive, as the Frenchwomen gifted a full 40 points to their opponent.
Fransen finished with 18 points, and Britt Herbots added 15. For France, Cazotte and Ndiaye each scored 13 points.
The defeat left France in last, 18th place, after the end of the second week.

Canada Poland 3:2(25:23,21:25,25:16,11:25,15:13)

Canada and Poland offered one of the highest-quality matches of the day. After more than two hours of play, the North Americans snatched the victory in a dramatic tie-break.
Kiera Van Ryk was unstoppable with 26 points, and Emily Maglio added 13. For Poland, Monika Lampkowska and Paulina Damaske each scored 18 points.
Despite the defeat, Poland maintained its place at the top of the standings.

Italy Japan 3:0(25:20,25:23,25:18)

After a tough loss to the USA a day earlier, Italy reacted in a champion's manner and outplayed Japan in one of the most anticipated clashes of the day.
Ekaterina Antropova shone with 17 points upon her return to the opposite hitter position, and Stella Nervini added 10. For the Japanese, captain Mayu Ishikawa scored 12 points.
The Italians made the difference mainly from service and blocking and finished the week in third place.

Netherlands - Thailand 3:0 (25:23, 25:22, 25:15)

The Dutch team, led by Ahmetdjan Ershimşek - former coach of "Maritsa" Plovdiv, due to the absence of Felix Kozlowski, successfully concluded the tournament in Bangkok. They defeated host Thailand with a clear victory and recorded their fourth success in the VNL.
Knollema finished as the top scorer with 19 points. For Thailand, Pimpichaya scored 16.
The Netherlands made the difference mostly in attack, where they scored 11 more points than their opponent.

Germany - Brazil 3:2 (26:24, 28:26, 15:25, 19:25, 16:14)

The big sensation of the day came from Ankara. Germany inflicted Brazil's first loss in the VNL after a dramatic five-set victory.
The Germans won the first two sets, after which the Brazilians equalized and took the match to a tie-break. In the decisive moment, however, the German team showed stronger nerves.
Timmermann scored 16 points, and Jatzko added 14. For Brazil, Ana Cristina and Helena finished with 21 points each.
The success lifted Germany to 11th place and made the last match against Bulgaria in Belgrade even more interesting.

Turkey - China 3:2 (25:21, 26:28, 23:25, 25:16, 15:12)

Turkey finished the tournament in front of their home crowd with four wins from four matches. The European champion overturned China from 1:2 sets and reached their sixth success in the VNL.
Melissa Vargas was again in the spotlight. The star of the Turkish team scored a personal record of 36 points and practically decided the match in key moments.
Ilkin Aydın added 13 points, and Sinead Jack-Kisal - 12. For China, Gong Xiangyu finished with 22 points.
The Turkish team solidified their place in the top six and are confidently progressing towards the Final Tournament.

USA finished the week at the top

The USA defeated Serbia 3:1 (25:22, 18:25, 25:16, 25:20) and finished the second tournament as the leader in the standings. The Americans accumulated 20 points and overtook Brazil thanks to a better set ratio.
Nina Chajic was the top scorer for the Serbian team with 18 points, while Avery Skinner also scored 18 for the winners.

Final standings after the second tournament

Bulgaria remains above the relegation zone and enters the final week with realistic chances to retain its place in the VNL. The differences between Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, and France remain minimal, meaning every point in Belgrade could prove decisive. At the top, USA and Brazil continue their battle for the first position, while Italy, Poland, Japan, and Turkey form the main group of pursuers.

Bulgaria's schedule in Belgrade

(all times are in Bulgarian time)

• July 9, 21:00 – Serbia – Bulgaria

• July 10, 17:30 – Bulgaria – Czech Republic

• July 11, 17:30 – Bulgaria – France

• July 12, 17:30 – Bulgaria – Germany

A decisive week lies ahead for the Bulgarian national team. Matches against the Czech Republic and France appear to be direct battles against opponents from the lower half of the table, while clashes with Serbia and Germany could also prove crucial for Bulgaria's definitive stay among the strongest teams in the Nations League.