Argentina, China and Poland join Japan as pool winners ahead of Round of 16
Japan fought back from a set down to beat Brazil and take Pool D on the final day of pool play at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship, joining Argentina, China and Poland as pool winners at JAWA POS Arena, Gelora Pancasila and Samator Healthporia Volleyball Hall.
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In a showdown between two unbeaten teams, Brazil relied early on Helena Wenk Hoengen’s heavy hitting to win the first set 26-24. Japan responded with quicker plays and sharper passing to level the match 25-17, then tightened their defense to contain Helena in the third. Sae Omori led Japan with 19 points, while Koyumi Fukumura, Anna Uemura and Ichiyo Ito each scored in double figures to complete the 3-1 (24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22) win. Helena finished with a match-high 26 points for Brazil, with Rebeca Borges Viana adding 17.
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In Pool A, Argentina wrapped up an unbeaten run with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-22) win over hosts Indonesia. The opening set was tight until late, when Argentina’s hitters found their range to edge ahead. They kept that momentum through the second, using patient build-ups to break down Indonesia’s floor defense. Martina Franco scored 13 points to lead Argentina, while Pascalina Mahuze and Azzahra Dwi Febyane finished with 14 and 10 points for the hosts.
Defending champions China topped Pool B with a 5-0 record, having dropped only one set in their opening match against Croatia, before sweeping USA 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 28-26) to close pool play. Zhao Zhexi and captain Li Chenxuan led the attack with 15 and 11 points respectively, while China limited their errors to just nine. The first two sets saw China’s wing hitters dominate, before USA threatened in the third through Henley Anderson’s scoring. China held firm at 26-26 with a kill from the left side and closed the match on a USA passing error.
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Poland secured Pool C with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-20) win over Czechia, claiming the top spot on points advantage over Italy despite identical 4-1 records. Poland’s attack was anchored by Aleksandra Adamczyk and Julia Hewelt, with Maria Splawska adding eight blocks. The Poles controlled every set, where they overwhelmed Czechia from the service line.
In the other Pool D matches, Bulgaria took third with a 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-23) win over Thailand, keyed by Iva Dudova’s 18 points and strong blocking in the final points of the second and third sets. Chile placed fifth after beating Tunisia 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-21, 25-14), with Petra Schwartzman Hechenleitner scoring 20.
In Pool A, Vietnam posted a 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22) win over Puerto Rico, led by Bui Thi Anh Thao’s 18 points. Serbia recorded a 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-17) victory against Canada, behind Bojana Ristanovic’s 20 points and Katarina Gagic’s six blocks.
In Pool B, Korea finished third after sweeping Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-18), with Shin Eunji scoring 17 points. Croatia clinched the last Round of 16 berth from the pool by defeating the Dominican Republic 3-0 (31-29, 25-21, 25-11), led by Asja Zolota’s 21 points.
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Türkiye handed Italy its first loss in Pool C, winning 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 15-11) to secure third place, as Defne Basyolcu scored 21 points, while Merit Adigwe made 30 points on a losing effort. Egypt claimed its first win with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-18) sweep of Algeria, powered by Karma Roukayak’s 16 points.
2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship: full schedule
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