2025 Breakout Players: The Ones Who Announced Themselves to the World

2025 stood out as a remarkable year for European Volleyball. As the achievements of European teams are revisited – and the players who defined the game have taken their deserved spotlight – it is now time to turn attention to those for whom this year marked a breakthrough. Some burst onto the scene with fearless performances; others finally seized their moment after years of perseverance. However they arrived, 2025 was the year they stepped forward, announced themselves on the global stage, and made Volleyball fans remember their names.

Kewin Sasak (POL)

Kewin Sasak is living proof that hard work pays off. At 28, he made his senior debut with the Polish national team and immediately became a core contributor, winning gold in the Volleyball Nations League and bronze at the World Championship. In 2024/2025, he joined Bogdanka LUK Lublin and quickly established himself as one of the pillars of their success in 2025, a campaign highlighted by Challenge Cup triumph and the Polish championship title while finishing as the league’s fifth-best scorer.

Those performances earned him the trust of head coach Nikola Grbić, who called the talented opposite to the national team. With Bartosz Kurek sidelined, Sasak became Poland’s top scorer and first-choice opposite in VNL 2025, earning gold medal. His breakout tournament was capped with selection to the VNL Dream Team as Best Opposite. He also stepped up at the decisive stage of the World Championship in the Philippines, including the bronze-medal match. Now a key figure for Bogdanka, he opened their Champions League debut with an MVP performance against Halkbank.

Hena Kurtagić (SRB)

Hena Kurtagić, the 21-year-old Serbian middle blocker, confirmed her status as one of the most promising players at her position in 2025. Joining Numia Vero Volley Milano ahead of the 2024/2025 season, she made an immediate impact in her rookie year in Italy under coach Stefano Lavarini. With Milano, Kurtagić claimed Serie A1 silver, earned Champions League bronze, and established herself as one of the league’s top middle blockers, consistently leading positional statistics and collecting multiple MVP awards.

At international level, she was one of Serbia’s brightest performers during a challenging summer. At the VNL, Kurtagić finished as the third-best middle blocker with 43 kill blocks and 115 total points, despite Serbia missing the Finals. She followed that with another strong showing at the World Championship in Thailand, again ranking among Serbia’s top contributors and underlining her resilience and exceptional talent. Kurtagić continues her journey with Numia Vero Volley Milano, opening the new season with a statement victory over Conegliano in the Italian SuperCup and aiming to push further in Serie A1 and the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 | Women.

Mattia Bottolo (ITA)

Mattia Bottolo, 25-year-old outside hitter, announced himself as a force in 2025. Although already a regular in Italy’s national team, he emerged as the hero of the World Championship final. At the club level, he led Cucine Lube Civitanova in the Coppa Italia 2024/2025 final and helped his team to secure a Serie A1 silver medal.

His global recognition grew further in the summer. At the VNL, he contributed solidly off the bench to Italy’s first-ever medal at the event – silver. But it was at the World Championship where he made his mark, finishing as one of Italy’s top three scorers with 87 points. In the final against Bulgaria, he tallied 19 points, including seven aces, cementing his role in Italy’s golden campaign. Bottolo now continues with Lube Civitanova, aiming high in domestic competitions and the Champions League.

Iman Ndiaye (FRA)

Iman Ndiaye delivered one of the standout individual summers of 2025, leading France to historic heights. After moving to Türkiye for the 2024/2025 season with Keçiören Belediyesi Sigorta Shop, she continued her club career with Nilüfer Belediyespor Eker, quickly establishing herself as one of the league’s most effective spikers.

Her true breakthrough came with the French national team. The 23-year-old opposite finished as the second-best scorer of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League with 233 points and led the competition in aces (23), guiding France to a historic ninth-place finish that included thrilling five-set battles against powerhouses such as the USA and Brazil. At the World Championship in Thailand – France’s first appearance at the event since 1974 – Ndiaye once again stood out. She helped France reach the quarterfinals, contributing 95 points and a tournament-best 10 aces, reaffirming her status as one of the most dangerous servers in the world. Together with her teammates, Ndiaye showed that France is ready to reach new heights in the near future.

Patrik Indra (CZE)

Patrik Indra, already known for his strong performances on the European stage, became a globally recognized star in 2024/2025. The 28-year-old opposite joined Poland’s Norwid Częstochowa and quickly became one of the hottest names in PlusLiga, leading the team to the domestic league quarterfinals while finishing as the season’s top scorer and being named the Best Foreign Player.

Indra shone even brighter with the national team. Although he missed the silver-winning European League campaign, he played a starring role in Czechia’s return to the World Championship after 15 years, helping the team reach the top four — their best result since 1970, when competing as Czechoslovakia. With 106 points, the left-handed opposite finished as the tournament’s second-best scorer and attacker, cementing his place among the world’s elite. He continues his journey with Częstochowa and, despite their difficult start to the season, once again tops the league’s scoring chart.

Aleksandra Uzelac (SRB)

Aleksandra Uzelac stepped firmly into the global spotlight in 2025. The 21-year-old outside hitter had already tasted international success two years earlier, winning silver with Serbia at EuroVolley 2023, but this season turned her into a name recognized worldwide.

At club level, Uzelac joined Ankara Zeren Spor Kulübü for the 2024/2025 season, helping the team secure fifth place in the Turkish League. She carried that form onto the international stage, emerging as one of Serbia’s leading scorers in the Volleyball Nations League with 123 points and playing a key role in keeping the team among the world’s elite. Her influence grew even further at the World Championship in Thailand, where she led Serbia as their top scorer and finished 10th overall in the competition with 84 points. Uzelac has remained with Ankara Zeren Spor Kulübü and immediately helped make an impact in the club’s Champions League debut, as they challenged reigning champions Conegliano in their opening match.

Nik Mujanović (SLO)

Nik Mujanović, the 21-year-old opposite and rising star of Slovenia, announced himself as a major talent in 2025. Despite Paris Volley missing the play-offs in 2024/2025, he finished as the regular season’s top scorer signaling his immense potential. His summer was even more remarkable. At the VNL, Slovenia finished fourth, with Mujanović contributing 126 points as a solid substitute for Tonček Štern. His role expanded at the World Championship, where injuries of his teammates and the absence of Rok Možič pushed him to switch to outside hitter. He excelled in the new role, using powerful serves and versatile play to help Slovenia beat Germany in a crucial pool match. Although the team fell in the Round of 16, Mujanović’s performance left a lasting impression.

Now with French champions Tours VB, he continues to impress domestically, scoring 261 points in just 12 matches and recording a staggering 37 points against Poitiers. Mujanović will also aim to make a significant impact as Tours pursue a strong Champions League campaign.

Fatoumatta Sillah (SLO)

Fatoumatta Sillah fearlessly announced herself on the biggest Volleyball stage in 2025. The 23-year-old, Gambia-born Slovenian outside hitter arrived with momentum after leading Vasas Óbuda Budapest to third place in the CEV Cup, Hungarian Cup bronze, and the domestic league title. Her international breakthrough came in June, when she made her debut for Slovenia and immediately became the team’s top scorer in the decisive matches of the European Golden League. She carried that form into Slovenia’s maiden World Championship campaign, playing a key role in reaching the Round of 16 and finishing as the tournament’s 12th top scorer with 80 points.

Sillah’s talent did not go unnoticed. She earned a move to reigning European powerhouse A. Carraro Prosecco DOC Conegliano, where she has already made her mark in Serie A1 and the CEV ZEREN Group Champions League Volley 2026 | Women. In a dramatic match against Ankara Zeren Spor Kulübü, she turned the tide from the service line as Conegliano saved multiple match points in the tie-break – a glimpse of what is still to come.

Joonas Jokela (FIN)

Joonas Jokela, 27-year-old Finnish opposite, enjoyed a breakthrough summer in 2025. After a solid 2024/2025 season with Savo Volley, he led Finland to gold in the European Golden League, finishing as the team’s top scorer and MVP of the final tournament. He then played a key role in Finland’s return to the World Championship for the first time since 2018. Jokela scored 20 points in a sensational pool-stage win over France, helping Finland reach the Round of 16. Although the team didn’t advance further, his 81 points ranked him 10th among the tournament’s top scorers, firmly announcing his presence on the world stage.

Jokela now continues his career with Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, where he can further develop alongside some of the world’s best players while competing in the Champions League.

Monika Brancuska (CZE)

Monika Brancuska seized her moment in 2025, emerging as one of Volleyball’s most exciting young opposites. At just 21, she helped PVK Olymp Praha reach the podium in the Czech Cup and finish fourth in the domestic league before making a powerful international performance with Czechia. In the nation’s VNL campaign, Brancuska played a key role in five wins – including headline victories over the USA and Türkiye –  as Czechia secured an impressive 11th-place finish. Individually, she ranked 12th among the competition’s top scorers with 180 points, quickly becoming a fan favourite thanks to her power and energy.

Czechia’s World Championship campaign in Thailand proved more challenging, but Brancuska again delivered solid performances. Ahead of the 2025/2026 season, she took the next step in her club career by signing with her first international club – German VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen, where she has already enjoyed a strong start.