Italy looking to claim a first Olympic medal in Paris
Women’s volleyball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gets underway on Sunday 28th July, and today we look at the Women’s Pools. The pools form the opening phase of the tournament in Paris, with eight of the 12 teams advancing to the quarter-finals. At the end of the Pool stage, the winners and runners-up of each pool will advance, alongside the two best-ranked third-placed nations.
Both men’s and women’s volleyball have featured in every Olympic Games since 1964, and six different nations have won gold in that time in the women’s tournament, with China the leading active nation, having won three gold medals, a silver and two bronzes.
At Tokyo 2020, USA won their first gold medal in women’s volleyball when they defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final. Serbia claimed their second volleyball medal when they defeated South Korea in the bronze medal match.
Reigning champions USA find themselves in a tough Pool A in Paris which includes hosts France, reigning world champions Serbia and perennial medal contenders China.
USA sit fifth in the World Rankings and made the semi-finals at the FIVB World Championships in 2022 and the Volleyball Nations League in 2023, but missed out on medals at both events as they finished fourth. Eight of the players who won gold in Tokyo return to try for the double in France.
France hosting the Olympics has given them their first taste of playing on this grandest of stages, and they will be keen to make the most of it. Having been placed in a particularly tough group, the 19th-ranked team in the world will need to cause an upset if they are to have any hopes of reaching the knockouts.
They are a nation on the up in the women’s game though, and competed in the VNL for the first time last month having won the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup in 2023, and they produced a sixth place finish in the 2023 European Championship to follow up their gold medal performance at the European Golden League in 2022. Outside hitter Héléna Cazaute, who competed in the CEV Women’s Champions League Volley Super Final for Allianz Vero Volley Milano, could well be the key figure if the hosts are to cause an upset.
Ranked 9th in the world, Serbia have won each of the last two FIVB World Championships, including a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the 2022 final. This is Serbia’s fifth straight appearance in the Olympics, and they have reached the semi-finals in each of the last two Games, earning silver at Rio 2016, losing to China in the final, and bronze in Tokyo 2020 courtesy of a 3-0 win over South Korea. They also earned silver in each of the last two European Championships.
Serbia boast one of the best setter-opposite pairings in the sport in Maja Ognjenović and Tijana Bošković, and the Serbian fans will be hoping their dynamic duo can see them through to the latter stages of a third consecutive Games.
Chinese fans will be celebrating the return of Zhu Ting to the squad. One of the best outside hitters in the world, can she help her nation to another Olympic final, after they won gold at Rio 2016? China have been good in recent years, and showcased their talent with a silver medal at the 2023 VNL.
If Pool A looked competitive, Pool B takes that to a whole new level. Poland, Brazil and Japan all reached the VNL semi-finals last month so there are some big names in excellent form, though none of them lifted that title.
Poland make their return to the Olympics after a 16-year absence and will be looking to claim a third medal. They claimed bronze in the first two Games, in 1964 and 1968, but since then have had just one appearance, a 9th-place finish at Beijing 2008. They have excelled in the last two years, claiming consecutive bronzes at the 2023 and 2024 VNLs.
Setter Joanna Wołosz is an icon at club level. In the seven seasons she has spent at Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley, the captain has helped her side to 21 trophies, including this year’s CEV Women’s Champions League Volley, and she will be looking to bring that winning mentality to the international stage.
Brazil are one of the favourites for every tournament they enter and the Olympics are no exception. Ranked No. 2 in the world, the South Americans have won silver a the 2022 World Championships and VNL, as well as dominating the South American titles. They won silver at Tokyo 2020, but won gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and they have Thaisa Menezes, a legendary figure within the sport who was part of those gold medal-winning sides, back in the squad, lending her experience.
Japan claimed silver at last month’s VNL and finished fourth at the 2022 World Championships as their team has hit a purple patch of late. Their best performance at the Olympics to date is winning bronze at London 2012. The Games provide a fitting farewell to outside hitter Sarina Koga who will be retiring after Paris 2024.
Kenya complete Pool B and the highest-ranked African nation will certainly be up against it. They return to the Olympics after a 12th-place finish in Tokyo looking for more this time around. They won the African Championship in 2023, and secured fifth and sixth place finishes in the last two Volleyball Challenger Cups. Middle blocker Trizah Atuka will be one of Egypt’s flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony.
Pool C features three European team, including the current best team in the world, Italy, as well as Türkiye and Netherlands, alongside Dominican Republic.
Italy secured their reputation as the team to beat when they won the VNL last month, defeating Japan 3-1 in the final. Since Tokyo 2020, they have also claimed another VNL title, in 2022, and won gold at the 2021 European Championships. Add those to a bronze at the 2022 World Championships, and the Italians look primed to challenge for their first Olympic medal.
Superstar opposite Paola Egonu is Italy’s one-to-watch. A three-time CEV Women’s Champions League MVP and two-time VNL MVP, Egonu has taken the volleyball world by storm since she burst onto the scene, and had the honour of being one of Italy’s flag bearers at Tokyo 2020.
Türkiye sit third in the world rankings, having spent some time atop the pile, and will also feel confident of earning a first medal at the Olympics. 2023 was a sensational year for Turkish volleyball as they won gold at the VNL and the European Championship, making a big jump from their quarter-final appearance at the 2022 World Championship.
Opposite Melissa Vargas, the EuroVolley 2023 MVP, has propelled the team since her arrival, and superstar middle blockers Zehra Günes and Eda Erdem will look to lock the opposition down.
Netherlands make their return to the Olympic Games after missing out on a spot at Tokyo 2020. The Dutch earned a 4th-place finish at Rio 2016 and will be looking to reach the latter stages again in Paris. At last year’s European Championship they earned a bronze medal, and claimed an 8th-place finish at this summer’s VNL.
Only two of the Dutch players, Anne Buijs and Celeste Plak played at Rio 2016, and outside hitter Nika Daalderop could well be key to the Dutch ambitions in Paris.
Dominican Republic complete Pool C and have dominated at a continental level in recent years. Gold medals at the 2023 Pan American Games, the 2023 and 2021 NORCECA Championships and the 2022 Pan American Cup will boost confidence among a talented squad that features one of the best liberos in the world in Brenda Castillo.
The women’s event in Paris starts on Sunday 28th July when Italy take on Dominican Republic and Poland face Japan.