Brazil advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League after defeating Japan 3-1 in a second quarterfinal in Macao.
The South American side recovered from losing the opening set to claim a 24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20 victory and set up a semifinal against defending champions Italy on Saturday, July 25.
Japan made the stronger start and edged the first set 26-24, but Brazil responded in the second before taking control of the match with a dominant third-set performance. The fourth set remained level until 19-19, when Brazil pulled away to secure the win.
Ana Cristina led all scorers with 30 points, Julia Bergmann added 24 points, while Rosamaria Montibeller contributed 12.
Brazil also held the advantage in attack, blocks and service points, finishing with 63 spike kills, 15 blocks and six aces.
Japan’s Yukiko Wada scored a team-high 19 points, while captain Mayu Ishikawa added 15 and Yoshino Sato finished with 12.
The result sends Brazil into its seventh VNL semifinal. Italy had already booked their place in the last four with a straight-sets victory over the Netherlands.
The remaining quarterfinals will see Türkiye face Canada and the United States take on host nation China.
Results and Schedule
July 22
- Italy beat the Netherlands 3-0: 25-21, 25-16, 25-16
- Brazil beat Japan 3-1: 24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20
July 23
- Türkiye vs Canada
- United States vs China
Semifinals — July 25
- Italy vs Brazil
- Türkiye/Canada winner vs United States/China winner
