The United States, Brazil and Italy officially secured places in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals after recording victories on Friday, becoming the first teams to qualify from the preliminary phase.
The three nations will join hosts China in Macao from July 22-26, while the remaining four Finals berths will be decided over the last matches of the preliminary stage.
The United States and Brazil continue to lead the standings with nine wins and 26 points, with the Americans holding the edge on set ratio. Italy also guaranteed qualification after improving to eight wins and 24 points, ensuring a top-seven finish.
The Americans earned their place with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Türkiye in Osaka. Avery Skinner and Logan Eggleston led the scoring with 19 points each, while Jordan Thompson added 17. Türkiye remained seventh despite the defeat, thanks to a standout 35-point display from Melissa Vargas.
Brazil followed by defeating Poland 3-1, with Ana Cristina Souza producing a match-high 26 points and reaching the milestone of 600 career VNL points. The loss dropped Poland out of the qualification positions.
In Hong Kong, reigning champions Italy booked their Finals ticket in convincing fashion with a 3-0 victory over Belgium. Ekaterina Antropova led the way with 23 points, including six aces and five blocks.
In other matches, the Dominican Republic climbed off the bottom of the standings after edging Ukraine 3-2 in a key relegation battle, with Brayelin Martinez scoring 29 points.
The Netherlands boosted Finals hopes by defeating Germany 3-0 to move into fourth place, while Czechia overcame Bulgaria 3-1, leaving Bulgaria at the foot of the table.
Results
- USA def. Türkiye 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 27-29, 25-21, 15-8)
- Brazil def. Poland 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 28-26)
- Italy def. Belgium 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19)
- Dominican Republic def. Ukraine 3-2 (25-17, 25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 15-13)
- Netherlands def. Germany 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-23)
- Czechia def. Bulgaria 3-1 (16-25, 25-12, 25-19, 25-14)