The Women's Volleyball World Championship is reaching its most intriguing phase. After the quarterfinals, the four best teams in the world are already clear – Italy, Brazil, Turkey, and Japan. On Saturday, September 6, the finalists and which teams will compete for bronze will become clear.

The Quarterfinals – Drama and Class

On Thursday, the last four uncertainties regarding the semifinals were resolved.
France, which was among the pleasant surprises of the tournament, showed character but could not fully resist Brazil's powerful team. "Canarinhos" won 3:0, but two of the sets concluded after dramatic extensions.

In the other match of the day, Turkey demonstrated why they are among the favorites. With strong play at the net and powerful attacks, they prevailed over the USA. Ebrar Karakurt led the team with her attacking effectiveness, and Eda Erdem was a pillar in blocking. Thus, the Turkish women secured a spot in the top 4 for the first time in their history.

Poland and Serbia – Out of the Medal Battle

Poland (World No. 3) again failed to break into the medal zone after losing to Italy.
The Serbians (No. 9) – the reigning champions – were eliminated already in the round of 16 and will not defend their title. This means only one thing: we will have a new world champion.

Semifinals Program (September 6, Saturday)

The program offers two clashes completely different in style. Turkey and Japan will try to impose their will – the Turkish women with power and blocking, the Japanese women with speed and defense. The Italian and Brazilian women, on the other hand, will repeat the VNL final at an earlier stage, offering a classic duel of titans that often turns into five-set thrillers. Should the Olympic champions win, it will be their 35th consecutive victory, but they are still far from the records of the USSR (46) in the period 1967/74 and Brazil (45) - 2008/2010.

Bulgarian Mark in the World Championship Semifinals

One of the matches pits Japan against Turkey, and the encounter will start at 15:30 local time (11:30 Bulgarian time). What is interesting for us is that there will be a Bulgarian mark in this key clash. Among the appointed referees is Ivaylo Ivanov, who will officiate the match together with Kang Joo-Hee (Republic of Korea). This is another recognition for Bulgarian officiating at a world level, especially in a phase that will decide who will play for gold and who will contend for bronze.

Top scorers before the semifinals of the 2025 World Championship

The ranking in the individual scoring classification is dynamic and will undergo further changes after the semifinals and finals. Nevertheless, the leading figures in the tournament are already emerging.

• Leaders outside the tournament: Cazaute (France) and Ndiaye (France), as well as Haak (Sweden), have already finished their participation, but remain at the top. However, after the semifinals and finals, they will almost certainly be displaced.

• The Big Battle: Ishikawa (Japan) and Egonu (Italy) are in the best position for first place. The Japanese player is extremely stable in attack, while the Italian impresses with her high number of block points.

• Turkish hope: Melissa Vargas has a real chance to attack the top spots if Turkey reaches the final.

• Brazilian Force: Gabi and Bergman maintain a stable presence in the top 10 and can move up with two successful matches.

• Poland's Contribution: Stysiak and Łukasik found a place among the best, but Poland's elimination in the quarter-finals deprives them of a chance for progress.

Ranking before the Women's World Championship 2025 semi-finals

After the completion of the quarter-final phase and before the big clashes for a place in the final, the official ranking is as follows: