Slovenia Stuns France, Advances to Semifinals Alongside Italy, Brazil, and Poland in VNL 2025

In a surprising turn of events at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men’s tournament in Ningbo, China, Slovenia defeated the reigning champions France in four sets on July 31, earning a place in the semifinals alongside Italy, Brazil, and Poland.

Slovenia secured a 3-1 victory over France with set scores of 25–21, 25–23, 21–25, and 25–20. Demonstrating remarkable composure and tactical precision from the start, Slovenia dominated the first two sets. Although France fought back in the third, Slovenia regained momentum to close out the match. Tonček Štern led Slovenia with 16 points, all from attacks, showcasing both aggressive offense and efficient execution.

Italy was the first team to clinch a semifinal spot by overcoming Cuba in four sets (25–18, 25–19, 20–25, 25–21). Key contributors included Alessandro Michieletto, who tallied 17 points including two service aces and a kill block, and Kamil Rychlicki, who added 16 points with three aces and two blocks, effectively disrupting Cuba’s rhythm.

Brazil rebounded from a narrow first-set loss to defeat host nation China 3-1 (29–31, 25–19, 25–16, 25–21). Alan Souza starred for Brazil with 26 points, guiding his team’s attack and using strategic serving to shift the momentum decisively in their favor following the tight opener.

Poland rounded out the semifinalists by sweeping Japan in a closely contested match (25–23, 26–24, 25–12). The first two sets were competitive, but Poland dominated the third set with a 14–3 blocking advantage. Kewin Sasak led Poland with 15 points, while Tomasz Fornal contributed 11 points, including four from kills and blocks.

The semifinals are set for August 2, featuring Brazil versus Poland and Italy facing Slovenia as the four teams compete for the VNL 2025 championship.