Scoring leaders shine as the World Championship heats up in Thailand

The second day of the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship continued the preliminary phase with matches in Pools E to H. Eight teams recorded their wins, with some of the tournament favourites already beginning to show their strength.

Pool E saw Canada claim a 3-1 victory against Bulgaria, with outside hitter Mitrović contributing 17 points. Canada stayed consistent, recovering well after conceding the third set. In the same pool, Türkiye swept Spain 3-0. The reigning European champions were superior in every category, finishing ahead in kills (43 to 37), blocks (seven to three), and aces (six to five), while also committing fewer errors (16 to 18). Erkek led the Turkish team in scoring with 15 points.

In Pool F, the Dominican Republic opened with a convincing straight-set win over Colombia. Outside hitter Brayelin Martínez was dominant, finishing with 20 points, giving her side the control needed to close the match quickly. Later, China came from a set down to beat Mexico 3-1. China’s blocking made the difference, as they outscored their opponents 12 to 3 at the net. They also led in kills (55 to 50) and aces (four to two), while committing fewer errors (22 to 27), showing greater efficiency after a slow start.

In Pool G, Germany made a strong start with a 3-0 win over Kenya. Alsmeier and Weske both scored 13 points, while Kenya’s Sharon Chepchumba Adhiambo stood out with 19 points, keeping her side competitive in two of the three sets. Poland dropped their opening set against Vietnam but responded by taking the next three. Magdalena Stysiak had one of the standout individual displays of the day, scoring 29 points, the highest tally across all matches.

Pool H brought straightforward wins for two favourites. Japan defeated Cameroon 3-0, with Akimoto scoring 18 points to lead the way. The defending champions Serbia also began with a 3-0 victory, beating Ukraine in a controlled display. Serbia were stronger in every statistical area, outscoring Ukraine in attacks (46 to 39), blocks (7 to 2), and aces (6 to 1). They also benefitted from fewer opponent errors, with Ukraine committing 15 to Serbia’s 16. Tijana Bošković led the scoring with 19 points.

While several matches were one-sided, teams like Mexico and Vietnam were able to test their stronger opponents before falling short. The likes of Serbia, Türkiye, and China confirmed their status as favourites, while individual scorers such as Stysiak and Martínez already stand out in the tournament.

Match Results – Preliminary Phase (Pool E - H) 

Pool E – 
Canada 3 vs Bulgaria 1 (25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18)
Türkiye 3 vs Spain 0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-23)

Pool F –
Dominican Republic 3 vs 0 Colombia (25-15, 25-18, 25-13)
China 3 vs Mexico 1 (22-25, 26-24, 25-10, 25-18)

Pool G – 
Germany 3 vs Kenya 0 (25-22, 25-8, 25-20)
Poland 3 vs Vietnam 1 (23-25, 25-10, 25-12, 25-22)

Pool H – 
Japan 3 vs Cameroon 0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19)
Serbia 3 vs Ukraine 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-17)