The Brazilian national volleyball team qualified for the final of the Women's Nations League 2025 after defeating Japan with a score of 3:2 (25:27, 25:21, 25:18, 19:25, 15:8) in an extremely dramatic and high-quality match played in the Polish city of Lodz. Thus, the "selecao" will compete for their first VNL title in their history, with their opponent in the final being the current champion and Olympic gold medalist - Italy.
🏆 Final and small final
Final:
🇧🇷 Brazil – Italy 🇮🇹
📅 July 27 (Sunday), 9:00 PM Bulgarian time3rd place match:
🇯🇵 Japan – Poland 🇵🇱
🕚 5:00 PM Bulgarian time
📊 Individual statistics
| Player | Points | Attack | Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabi | 25 | 24 | 1 |
| Julia Bergman | 24 | 22 | 2 |
| Julia Kudiess | 13 | 11 | 2 |
| Diana | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| Rosamaria | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Wada (Japan) | 20 | 19 | 1 |
| Ishikawa (Japan) | 19 | 18 | 1 |
Analysis:
The leadership of Gabi and Julia Bergmann was crucial for the comeback and victory. They scored 49 out of the team's total of 109 points – over 45% of all points. Macris' excellent distribution provided stability, while the middle blockers Diana and Cudiess demonstrated effectiveness in both attack and block.
📝 Match Chronology
Game 1 (25:27)– Brazil started hesitantly, with reception problems and a struggling attack. The Japanese quickly took a 3:0, 5:1, and 17:11 lead. After Roberta was replaced by Macris and a strong serving run by Julia Bergmann, the Brazilians equalized at 18:17, but ultimately lost 25:27.
Game 2 (25:21)– Macris remained on the court, and the team continued its positive momentum. Gabi took the lead with 7 points, and despite Japan saving three game points, the "Seleção" leveled the games.
Game 3 (25:18)– Julia Bergmann became active in both attack and defense. Good blocking and aggressive play led to a complete turnaround in the match – 2:1 for Brazil.
Game 4 (19:25)– Japan showed character, improved their blocking, and brought back the pressure. The Brazilians made more attacking errors, and the match went into a tie-break.
Game 5 (15:8)– Brazil started strong – 4:1, 8:5. Serves by Cudiess and brilliant defense secured control until the end and a deserved victory.
🆚 Final: Italy awaits
Italy, led by Julio Velasco, arrives at the final undefeated –14 wins from 14 matchesin this year's VNL and a total of27 consecutive successessince last year's loss to…Brazil. It was in Rio de Janeiro, in the first week of this year's competition, that the Italians defeated the 'Seleção' with a decisive3:0.
The final promises to be a clash between Brazil's attacking power and the tactical maturity of the reigning champion.
photo: .volleyballworld.com
