The penultimate day of the preliminary phase of the Women's Volleyball Nations League offered a huge surprise, a dramatic comeback, and key results in the battle for the finals in Macau and remaining in the elite. Thailand crushed Brazil, Italy recovered from two sets down against Canada, Turkey took an important step towards the Final Eight, and Bulgaria lost the direct clash for survival against France. Serbia delighted the Belgrade audience with a clean sweep over Germany, while the Dominican Republic inflicted a defeat on the finals host China.

Thailand – Brazil 3:0 (25:15, 25:16, 25:17)

The biggest surprise of the day came in Osaka, where Thailand, 22nd in the world rankings before the match, crushed second-ranked Brazil. José Roberto Guimarães rested some of his key volleyball players, but even the experimental "Seleção" squad hardly expected such a heavy defeat. Thailand dominated in all key elements, finishing with 43 attack points against 33, 6 blocks against 4, and an impressive 9 aces against only 1 for Brazil. The Asians also had superiority in digs, reception, and game organization. Thatdao finished with 15 points, and Pimpichaya added 12, while for Brazil, Kisy scored 11 and Lorena – 10. The victory earned Thailand 19.39 points for the world ranking and a jump of five positions to 17th place.
After this result, Brazil remained with 9 wins, 2 losses, and 26 points. The USA rested on July 11, but a day earlier, they defeated Turkey 3:2 (22:25, 25:23, 27:29, 25:21, 15:8) and climbed to first place in the standings. Thus, the direct clash between the USA and Brazil on the final day becomes a decisive battle for the top spot at the end of the preliminary phase.

Canada – Italy 2:3 (25:22, 29:27, 23:25, 23:25, 5:15)

Italy orchestrated one of the most impressive comebacks in the third week, recovering from a 0:2 deficit against Canada. The Canadian team, led by Giovanni Guidetti, controlled the first two sets and seemed close to a major success, inspired by the strong play of Kiera Van Ryk. Subsequently, the Olympic champions stabilized their reception, improved their blocking, and began to use their middle blockers more effectively. Italy snatched the third and fourth sets with 25:23 each, and in the tie-break, left no chances for their opponent, winning 15:5. Ekaterina Antropova scored an impressive 37 points and was the main figure in the comeback, while Van Ryk finished with 27 for Canada. With their ninth victory, "Squadra Azzurra" solidified their place among the participants in the final tournament in Macau.

Japan – Turkey 1:3 (22:25, 25:22, 22:25, 22:25)

Turkey took another decisive step towards participating in the finals after defeating host Japan in Osaka. The two teams were almost equally matched in attack – 60 points for the Turks against 59 for the Japanese, but the huge difference came in blocking. Turkey recorded 12 successful blocks against only 3 for their opponent, and this superiority proved decisive in the three sets won. Melissa Vargas was the top scorer with 20 points, Kisal added 14, while for Japan, Wada finished with 27 and Ishikawa with 15. The Japanese had better reception and dig statistics but failed to stop their opponent's strong play above the net. Before their last match against Thailand, Turkey is in an excellent position for a spot in the Final Eight, while Japan needs a victory over Poland.

China – Dominican Republic 1:3 (22:25, 25:21, 23:25, 24:26)

The Dominican Republic achieved a remarkably valuable victory against China in front of nearly 8,400 spectators in Hong Kong. Marcos Kwiek's team showed more resilience in decisive moments and won two very close sets with 25:23 and 26:24. Brayelin Martínez was once again the leader for the Dominicans with 20 points, while Yonkaira Peña and Gaila González each added 18. For China, Yushan Zhuang finished with 25 points, including 4 blocks, and Xing Tan contributed 15. The success allowed the Dominican Republic to distance themselves from the bottom spots and take a significant step towards remaining in the Nations League. China has no concerns about their participation in the finals, as they will host the tournament in Macau.

Bulgaria – France 1:3 (25:23, 20:25, 28:30, 22:25)

Bulgaria lost the direct survival clash against France and remained in last place in the standings. The national team started strong and won the first set, and in the third, they had a 23:21 lead and a set point at 25:24. However, Marcello Abbondanza's team failed to close out the set, and the French capitalized, dramatically winning 30:28. France had superiority in attack with 57:49 and in blocking with 14:10, while Bulgaria was better from the service line with 9 aces against 8. The national team also finished with more digs and better reception, but once again failed to show enough composure in decisive moments. Mikaela Stoyanova scored 18 points, Alexandra Milanova added 13, and for France, Eva Elouga finished with 16.
After the defeat, Bulgaria remained with 2 wins, 9 losses, and 5 points and dropped to 29th place in the world rankings. In their last match, the national team will face Germany, now needing not only a victory but also a favorable result in the match between Ukraine and Belgium.

Serbia – Germany 3:0 (25:20, 25:22, 25:23)

Serbia presented a special gift for head coach Zoran Terzić's 60th birthday, defeating Germany in front of more than 4,600 spectators at "Belgrade Arena". The match was also marked by Tijana Bošković's first appearance of the season; she entered for just one rally, scored an attack point, and received thunderous applause from the crowd. The hosts controlled the first set, and in the second and third, they repelled attempts by the Germans to get back into the game. Nina Čajić was outstanding with 22 points, including 2 blocks and 3 aces, and Branka Tica added 10. For Germany, Maria Tabachuks scored 10 points, and Anastasia Cekulaev – 9. The victory leveled Serbia's and Germany's record at 4 wins and 7 losses, with both teams having already secured their place in the VNL.

VNL Standings before the final matches

China is the host of the final tournament and participates in the Final Eight regardless of its position in the preliminary phase.

Ranking of VNL teams in FIVB World Ranking

The most significant shift was made by Thailand, who gained 19.39 points after their victory over Brazil and climbed from 22nd to 17th place. Bulgaria lost two positions after the defeat by France and is now 29th with 140.39 points.