USA and Türkiye Complete the Quarterfinal Lineup at the Women’s World Championship
Recap
The final day of the Round of 16 at the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Thailand has concluded. The last confirmed quarterfinal pairing is USA vs Türkiye, with both teams winning their Round of 16 matches in straight sets (3–0).
USA - Canada 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21)
In the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB Women’s World Championship in Bangkok, Team USA easily dispatched Canada with a straight-set performance (25‑18, 25‑21, 25‑21), earning their place in the quarterfinals They now await the winner of the Türkiye vs. Slovenia matchup
A substitute opposite, Stephanie Samedy, sealed the victory with a block-out killю Across the net, USA had the upper hand with 11 kill blocks to Canada’s 6, and they edged them slightly in successful attacks, 42 to 38. The Canadians also committed more unforced errors — 19 compared to the USA’s 12.
Leading the charge, Avery Skinner and Sarah Franklin each tallied 13 points, with Franklin also contributing three crucial blocks. Madisen Skinner wasn’t far behind, adding 12 points. Other key contributors included middle players Chiaka Ogbogu (6 spikes, 1 block, 1 ace), Dana Rettke (1 point, 3 blocks), and Morgan Hentz, who led all players with 11 digs.
On the Canadian side, 21-year-old Anna Smrek was the top scorer with 12 points, including an ace and three blocks. She praised the experience gained through the World Championship and VNL appearances and expressed optimism about future matches, saying they would retain their heads high despite the tough loss.
Türkiye - Slovenia 3-0 (30-28, 25-13, 29-27)
Despite competitive first and third sets against the tournament newcomers ranked 20th globally, ranked fifth in the world, Türkiye rose to the challenge when it counted.
Standout performers:
- Melissa Vargas led the charge with 20 points (19 spikes, 1 block).
- Captain Eda Erdem delivered 17 points, including 12 spikes, 2 blocks, and 3 aces, contributing the decisive point.
For Slovenia, outside hitter Fatoumatta Sillah topped their scoring with 15 points (12 spikes, 2 aces, 1 block), while opposite Evá Zatkovič added 14 attacks and a block.
Zehra GüneşIt was very difficult, they fought for each point and were very good on defense. I thought both teams fought a lot at the end of the third set, and I’m proud that we made it here. We now have another difficult match against the United States, and I hope that we can continue playing this way and achieve our goal, which is to return home with the gold medal.
middle blocker of Turkish National Team
Match stats snapshot:
- Errors: Türkiye 16 vs. Slovenia 20
- Kills: 47 vs. 42
- Blocks: 10 vs. 7
- Aces: 7 vs. 3
With that win, Türkiye advances to face the United States in the quarterfinals — the next step in their bid for their first-ever World Championship crown.