Italy and Poland advance to World Championship Quarterfinals and will face each other

At the Women’s World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, the final phase (Round of 16) is underway. On August 30, two matches were played between big European teams: Italy vs. Germany and Poland vs. Belgium.

Italy - Germany 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-11)

Italy, currently ranked number one in the world, the Olympic champions delivered a commanding performance against Germany in the round of 16, winning in straight sets and moving on to the next stage of the tournament. 

In the match against Germany, Italian star opposite Paola Egonu led all scorers with 21 points. Italy claimed victory with set scores of 25-22, 25-18, 25-11. Egonu contributed a third of Italy’s 48 attack points, along with four kill blocks and one ace. This was Italy’s 33rd consecutive win in official matches, a streak that began in June 2024 and includes the Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024 and two consecutive Volleyball Nations League titles.

Also making key contributions were 21-year-old outside hitter Stella Nervini, who added 11 points including one block, and middle blocker Sarah Fahr, who finished with 10 points — nine in attack and one from the service line. Fahr also scored the match-winning point with a powerful quick attack and had an impressive 82% success rate in attack.

Germany fell behind in all key performance categories, recording 30 successful attacks, five kill blocks, and no aces. Both teams committed 16 unforced errors. Outside hitter Lina Alsmeier was the only German player to reach double digits, scoring 10 points, all from attacks.

Poland - Belgium 3-2 (25:27, 25:20, 25:17, 22:25, 15:10)

Poland advanced to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought 3-2 (25-27, 25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 15-10) win over Belgium in the round of 16. In the next round, Poland will face Italy.

The first set was evenly matched until the end, with Belgium ultimately taking it 27-25 after a tense finish. Poland responded with improved blocking and offensive play in the second and third sets, winning 25-20 and 25-17 to gain a 2-1 lead.

Belgium rallied in the fourth, using a series of aces from Elise Van Sas to pull ahead and force a decisive fifth set. Poland started the final set strong, stayed composed despite a brief Belgian comeback, and secured the win with a 15-10 score, sealing their place in the quarterfinals.

Key contributions for Poland came from Martyna Lukasik (20 points) and Magda Stysiak (15 points).