Italy back on the throne after silver in 2023, Japan finish second and Brazil down Bulgaria for back-to-back bronze
Italy finally broke through against rival Japan, winning the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship in a five-set thriller at JAWA POS Arena. The result gave the Italians their third world crown, while Brazil secured its second straight bronze medal after beating Bulgaria.
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Italy finally answered their long-running rivalry with Japan, taking the final in five sets 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 25-19, 15-11). After falling in five to China in 2023 and to Japan in 2019, the Italians reclaimed the crown with a blocking masterclass that turned the deciding set in their favor.
Merit Adigwe was unstoppable, scoring 34 points from 29 kills, four blocks and an ace. Linda Manfredini added 15, including the match-winning spike, while Teresa Maria Bosso tallied 14 and Dalila Marchesini finished with 11 on the strength of seven blocks. Japan fought back behind Anna Uemura, who had 18 points, and Sae Omori with 17.
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“It feels amazing. I’m so happy and proud of my team because today was not an easy match,” Adigwe said. “But we stayed united until the end, and our goal was always to win the gold medal. When I stepped onto the court, I was already focused on that goal, and it motivated me throughout the match.”
The victory marked Italy’s third gold at this level, following triumphs in 2011 and 2021, and their sixth trip to the final overall. It also came as redemption for near misses in 2019 and 2023, when they twice lost the title in five-set battles. For Japan, it was another runner-up finish to go with their lone championship from 2019, two silvers and six bronzes.
Italy struck first, winning the opening set 25-22 with Adigwe in full attack mode. Her power helped Italy keep pace through long rallies and gave them enough separation late in the frame to edge ahead of Japan’s quick combination play.
Japan responded in the second, spreading its offense through Uemura, Mamii Inoue, Koyumi Fukumura and Omori. The Japanese defense also forced errors at key moments, and after an Omori strike closed the set 25-22, the match was even at one set apiece.
The third set swung decisively to Japan, whose variety in attack left Italy’s block exposed. Uemura fired in a service ace and Omori scored at will as Japan rolled 25-15 to move within one set of the title.
Italy answered in the fourth with sharper blocking and defensive play. Adigwe again led the attack while Marchesini turned the momentum at the net, helping Italy close the set 25-19 and push the final to a decider. In the tiebreak, Italy’s block proved the difference. Manfredini, Bosso and Marchesini combined to shut down Japan’s hitters, with Marchesini producing back-to-back rejections before Manfredini sealed the title with the final kill for 15-11.
“It’s incredible. It was a really tough match and I think we totally deserved this because we had a long and difficult preparation,” Manfredini said. “The tournament itself was hard as well, but we are a great team and we earned it. In the fifth set I kept saying that every point had to be played like it was the last. We stayed aggressive and tried to score every time, and that’s the way to win a match like this against such a strong opponent.”
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Brazil claimed its second straight bronze medal at the Women’s U21 World Championship with a 3-1 victory over Bulgaria (25-19, 25-20, 14-25, 25-21), marking the South Americans’ fourth podium finish in the event following bronze medals in 2009, 2013 and 2023. The first came in 2009, also against Bulgaria, in a five-set battle in Mexico.
Brazil outblocked Bulgaria 11-5, while Rebeca Borges Viana scored 24 points and Helena Wenk Hoengen added 23 to offset Iva Dudova’s 20 and Viktoria Koeva’s 16 for the Europeans.
The opening set was a close exchange before Brazil gained separation through solid blocking and defense. Helena Wenk Hoengen matched Koeva in attack, and with support from Rebeca Borges Viana, Brazil edged ahead 22-18. Errors slowed Bulgaria’s momentum, and Brazil closed the frame 25-19.
The second set saw Bulgaria build an early 10-4 lead behind Dudova’s scoring from both the front and service lines. Brazil responded with contributions from Helena, Rebeca and captain Aline Segato Maestri, drawing level at 18-18. Aline’s back-row strike and an ace turned the momentum, and Brazil pulled away to win 25-20 for a 2-0 advantage.
Bulgaria responded with a dominant third set, racing to a 9-4 lead through Dudova’s powerful hitting and Koeva’s serving before finishing 25-14. But Brazil quickly regrouped in the fourth, tightening their defense and keeping pressure on from the wings. Rebeca and Helena powered the attack as the South Americans built an 18-12 cushion, and they never looked back, closing the match 25-21 to seal the bronze.
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China rallied past Poland to claim fifth place with a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-17). After dropping the opening frame on late errors, China steadied its game and executed more cleanly through the next three sets. Li Hanyu led the way with 17 points and Zhao Zhexi added 15 as the team tightened its block and attack to turn the momentum. Poland showed promise early with 19 points from the attack line and a strong outing from middle blocker Splawska, who finished with 14, but turnovers and inconsistency in the closing stages proved decisive. China edged a tense third set before riding its rhythm to finish the match comfortably in the fourth.
Argentina’s strong service game delivered them a seventh-place finish with a sweep of Türkiye, 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-21). The South Americans struck 11 aces to spark their offense, three from captain Milena Margaria who finished with 12 points. Bianca Garibaldi added 10, while Lara Martinez Casas and Martina Franco also contributed on both sides of the ball. Türkiye’s Defne Basyolcu scored a match-high 23, but her teammates were held to single digits as Argentina’s balance and serving edge proved decisive.
USA closed their campaign in ninth place with a 3-0 sweep of Czechia (25-21, 25-20, 25-18). Halle Thompson scored 13 points and Elena Hoecke added 10 as part of a balanced American attack that produced 47 kills, seven blocks and four aces. Bara Rejmanova led Czechia with 13, supported by Antonie Kelnarova and Martina Pokorna with 11 and 10, but the rest of the team struggled to contribute. Thompson set the tone in the opening two sets, and with points spread widely across the U.S. starters, the Americans limited errors and closed out the match with a dominant third frame.
Croatia clinched 11th place with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Thailand (20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 16-25, 15-12). Asja Zolota scored 26 points and Katarina Drobac added 20 to pace the Europeans, while Kwannaphat Nualwan tallied 22 for Thailand. After trading sets behind strong performances on both sides, Croatia built an early lead in the decider and held off a late Thai surge, with Zolota sealing the match on a back-row attack.
Korea secured 13th place with a straight-sets victory over Serbia, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22). The Koreans tallied 45 attacks and five aces while limiting turnovers to offset their weaker net defense. Shin Eunji led the way with 15 points, including 13 kills and two aces, while captain Kim Sebeen added 10. Anja Mihajlovic paced Serbia with 12 in defeat. Korea’s tempo on offense, sparked by Shin and Gwak Seon Ok in the opening set, set the tone early, and the team maintained its edge through the second. With Kim Sebeen contributing in the third, Korea’s consistent pressure was enough to complete the sweep.
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Puerto Rico endured a five-set battle with hosts Indonesia to secure 15th place, 3-2 (26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12). Chareika Carrion Gonzalez powered the Caribbean side with 30 points and Karielys Michelle Melendez Rodriguez added 22, while Syelomitha Afrilaviza Wongkar, Pascalina Mahuze and Junaida Santi led Indonesia with 19, 18 and 17, respectively. After splitting the first four sets, Puerto Rico edged the home team in a tight tiebreaker, with Carrion delivering the winning back-row hit at 15-12.
2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship: full schedule
ADIGWE SHINES BRIGHTEST AS WOMEN’S U21 MVP
Italian opposite leads Dream Team after powering gold medal triumph with 34-point performance in Surabaya
Merit Chinenyenwa Adigwe was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship after leading Italy to gold with a 34-point performance against Japan in the final.
- Watch the FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship on VBTV
“I’m very happy and proud of what I achieved. The MVP is an important award and I can’t wait to share this moment with my family and my teammates,” said Adigwe.
The Italian opposite finished the tournament with 166 points from 132 attacks, 24 blocks and 10 aces. She also had three other matches where she scored at least 30 points, against Poland, China and hosts Indonesia, confirming her place as the most dominant scorer of the competition.
FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship Dream Team
Adigwe was also chosen as Best Opposite in the Dream Team, joined by two other Italians. Teresa Maria Bosso earned recognition as one of the Best Outside Hitters and Dalila Marchesini stood out as one of the Best Middle Blockers. Their presence underlined Italy’s strength on the way to the gold medal.
Japan also had a strong showing with Sae Omori joining Bosso as Best Outside Hitter, while Chisato Hanaoka took the Best Setter honor and Ami Uchizawa was named Best Libero. Brazil was represented by Luana Camila Kuskowski, who completed the lineup as the second Best Middle Blocker.
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