Japan recovered from a first-set deficit to defeat France 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-22, 25-12) in their opening match of the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League.
France made a strong start and edged a closely contested opening set, but the world No. 7 Japanese side quickly took control of the match. Japan dominated the second and fourth sets and maintained their composure in a competitive third set to secure the victory.
Yoshino Sato led all scorers with 18 points for Japan, while 21-year-old outside hitter Lilou Ratahiry was France’s top contributor.
Standings provided by Sofascore