(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Southeast Asian Teams Impress as 2023 Medalists Maintain Perfect Starts at Women’s U21 World Championship
Published August 8, 2025
The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship continued with exciting action on Friday, as Southeast Asian teams Vietnam and hosts Indonesia showcased impressive performances. Meanwhile, last edition’s medalists — China, Italy, and Brazil — extended their unbeaten runs at venues across Indonesia, including the JAWA POS Arena, Gelora Pancasila, and Samator Healthporia Volleyball Hall.
Vietnam secured their second victory of the tournament with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Serbia (25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23). Led by captain Dang Thi Hong’s 15 points, Vietnam’s balanced attack delivered 52 kills and 99 digs, turning defense into offense. Serbia’s Anja Mihajlovic scored 14 points.
Host nation Indonesia thrilled the home crowd with a 3-1 win against Canada (28-26, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21). Pascalina Mahuze and Junaida Santi led the charge with 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Canada’s Logan King posted a match-high 22 points. Both teams matched with 99 digs, fueling dynamic rallies.
Defending champions China continued their dominance in Pool B with a straight-sets 3-0 win over Korea (25-21, 25-20, 25-17). In Pool C, 2023 silver medalists Italy cruised to their second victory with a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-11, 25-16), while Poland joined them at 2-0 after a 3-0 win over Türkiye (25-19, 26-24, 25-21). Brazil, bronze medalists in 2023, topped Pool D by defeating Chile 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-21).
Additional Pool A action saw Argentina remain unbeaten with a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico (25-23, 25-23, 25-21). Maria Bernardita Aguilar Toranz led with 19 points, supported by Bianca Garibaldi and Martina Bednarek, who added 11 points each.
In Pool B, the United States dominated the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-11), while Croatia notched their first win with a 3-0 victory over Mexico (25-13, 25-14, 25-16). Czechia also earned their first Pool C win by beating their opponent 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-12).
Japan maintained their unbeaten streak in Pool D after a 3-0 win over Thailand (25-15, 25-18, 25-17), with four players scoring double-digit points. Bulgaria secured their first victory by sweeping Tunisia 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-20).
Stay tuned for more thrilling action from the FIVB Volleyball Women’s U21 World Championship as the competition intensifies.
