32 women's teams will compete for the title in Thailand, but attention will be drawn to the star names on the court. Here are some of them, according to Polish media:
Melissa Vargas (Turkey)- European champion, VNL 2023 MVP, leader of Fenerbahçe.
Magdalena Stysiak (Poland)- three VNL bronzes, new addition to Eczacıbaşı.
Isabelle Haak (Sweden)- leader of Conegliano, multiple champion and MVP in Europe.
Paola Egonu (Italy)- Olympic champion, three-time VNL winner.
Ekaterina Antropova (Italy)- Egonu's young successor, already with Olympic and VNL gold.
Yukiko Wada (Japan)- second top scorer in VNL 2025, star of NEC Red Rockets.
Tijana Bošković (Serbia)- European champion 2019, world champion 2018 and 2022, World Championship 2022 MVP.
Alessia Orro (Italy)- Olympic and European champion, with Fenerbahçe from this season.
Nanami Seki (Japan)- best setter of VNL 2025.
Agnieszka Korneluk (Poland)- top blocker at VNL, leader of DevelopRes Rzeszów.
Eda Erdem (Turkey)- an icon of Turkish volleyball, with titles and a monument in Istanbul.
Julia Koudies (Brazil)- the best blocker of VNL 2025.
Hena Kurtagic (Serbia)- a young discovery, already among the top blockers.
Gabriela Guimaraes (Brazil)- a leader with Olympic and continental accolades.
Ebrar Karakurt (Turkey)- VNL 2023 champion, emotional leader.
Mayu Ishikawa (Japan)- among the best attackers at VNL 2025.
Nika Daalderop (Netherlands)- silver and bronze from Euro, new signing for Conegliano.
Myriam Sylla (Italy)- Olympic and European champion, three-time VNL winner.
Aleksandra Szczyglowska (Poland)- top in defense, bronze medalist from three VNL editions.
Monica De Gennaro (Italy)- an icon at the libero position, MVP of VNL 2025 - this will be her last competition with the national team.
Juliette Gelin (France)- best defender at VNL 2025, new acquisition of Vero Volley Milano.
The tournament will pit experienced champions like Egonu, Bošković, and Erdem against young hopes like Antropova, Wada, and Kurtagić. A true spectacle is expected.
For us, Bulgarians, the hope remains that the young players in the national team will have a chance to shine and lay the foundations to be mentioned as stars in the next editions of the World Cup.
