European powerhouses in chase of glory: Five teams aim for Nations League crown in Łódź

Five European teams are still in with a chance to secure the title at the 2025 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League, when the final round of the competition throws off on Wednesday, 23 July, in the legendary Atlas Arena in Łódź, Poland.

So far, there is only one unbeaten team, reigning champions, Italy, which are gunning for their third title in history, having the chance to become the joint most decorated team in the competition, with the title currently held by the United States of America, which secured the gold medal three times, in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The eight teams have made it to the quarter-finals, and Italy, which have lost only seven sets in 12 matches so far, and have a 100% winning record, will see their path to the title go through a fantastic tie against the United States of America, which have won seven matches and lost five so far.

The two sides have already met in the first match in this edition of the competition, where Italy have thoroughly outplayed their opponents, winning in straight sets, 25:13, 25:13 and 30:28.

The Italian side have proved remarkable versatility and depth, with Paola Egonu (171 points), Sarah Fahr (116 points) and Ekaterina Antropova (109 points) shining on the court, with the reigning Olympic champions trying to add more silverware for this incredible generation.

Bronze medallists in 2023 and 2024, hosts Poland will aim to make more history on their home court and secure another place on the podium. They finished fourth in the preliminary round, with nine wins and three losses, with two of the losses coming against Brazil and Japan in the last week.

Poland will meet the People’s Republic of China in the quarter-finals, a team which the European side had already beat in China, 3:1, in week 1, 25:22; 20:25; 25:19 and 25:21.

2023 champions Türkiye finished sixth in the preliminary round and Daniele Santarelli’s side will aim to go back to the top, especially as they welcomed back Melissa Vargas in the last weeks of the preliminary round.

Their opponents in the quarter-finals will be Japan, the runners-up in 2024, with the two teams not meeting in the preliminary round.

The last European side qualified for the quarter-finals is Germany, which is in this phase of the competition for the second time in history, after finishing eighth in 2023. A strong finish in the preliminary round, with wins over Canada (3:2), Thailand (3:0) and the Dominican Republic (3:1) helped them secure a place between the top eight sides in this edition of the competition, with seven wins and five losses at the end of the round.

However, Germany will have their work cut out, facing Brazil, which have won 11 out of the 12 matches scheduled so far. Brazil have secured a hard-fought 3:2 win in the preliminary round, with Germany having a 2:1 lead before dropping the last two sets, 20:25 and 8:15.

The quarter-finals between Italy vs USA and Poland vs China will take place on 23 July, with the next two quarter-finals scheduled for 24 July. The two semi-finals are taking place on 26 July, with the medals awarded on 27 July.