The Volleyball Nations League is right around the corner, and the senior women’s national teams are all gunning for a good start to their campaign.
The opening slate of the tournament boasts multiple marquee-worthy matchups, and of course, SBOTOP is on the scene to give volleyball fans around the world in-depth previews of some of the notable Week 1 clashes in the 2024 VNL season.
Italy, Poland, China, and Korea Republic are the first outfits this season that will showcase their brand of volleyball to the world, which is why this feature delves into their past achievements, goals, and aspirations that could be the X factor to give them their maiden win of the campaign.
Other notable matchups in Week 1 are Japan vs Turkey, USA vs Thailand, and Brazil vs Canada.
Italy vs Poland
Italy and Poland will kick things off with what certainly will be a fitting tournament opener as World No. 5 Italy return to action with one notable name back on their roster. Former MVP Paola Egonu returns to action after missing last season’s campaign due to injury. The 25-year-old opposite has been the team’s leading scorer for several years and is the main catalyst in Italy’s 2022 championship run.
Also, rust shouldn’t be an issue for the former MVP, as she’s currently having a stellar season with Allianz Vero Volley Milano, emerging as Lega Pallavolo Serie A Femminile’s top scorer of the 2023–24 season and taking her team to the final of the CEV Champions League.
With her comeback on the international scene, coupled with the brilliance of Julio Velasco at the helm, Italy could find themselves back at the top in no time.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the net, Poland are poised for another successful campaign. They ended their 2023 VNL season with a bronze medal while securing a spot in the 2024 Olympics to boot. This is the first time Poland have qualified for the Olympics since 2008.
Last season proved that Poland belong in the upper echelon of the volleyball world, and unfortunately for their adversaries, the stellar Polish women are hungry for more.
“I’m sure we’re ready! This is a huge step for Polish women’s volleyball. After several years, we’re going back to the Olympics! It’s big, but we all expect that we manage to continue to grow from here,” Polish national team middle blocker Korneluk stated in an interview.
It’s important to take note that despite their monumental success for the Polish brand of women’s volleyball, the squad is still relatively young, with a handful of key players still in their mid-20’s, such as Magdalena Stysiak, Martyna Łukasic, Olivia Różański, and Maria Stenzel.
It’s amazing what the Polish squad has accomplished under the reigns of coach Stefano Lavarini, but they’ll certainly have their hands full from the get-go as they face the mighty Italy for their Week 1 matchup.
China vs Korea Republic
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the highest-ranked Asian side in the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Ranking, China. Still without a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Rio 2016 champions will hop on the revenge tour bus after their fumble in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Recent Volleyball Nations League 2024 updates confirmed the return of their MVP, Zhu Ting, after the scrutiny she faced after China’s head-scratching group stage exit in Tokyo. China’s star outside hitter has been away from international duties for three years, and with their bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the balance, Zhu Ting’s return could definitely be the X factor China needs to get back to their winning ways.
“The sole purpose of my return is to contribute to securing a spot for the Chinese women’s volleyball team at the Paris Olympics,” Zhu Ting wrote on social media. “Together with the team, I will exert all efforts to secure a spot for the Chinese team at the Paris Olympics.”
This may be the 29-year-old’s farewell tour, as she stated back in 2020 that she only plans to play at three Olympic Games. Which further cements the hype behind China coming into the VNL season.
They’ll happily face Korea Republic, a squad they eliminated from medal contention at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
South Korea, who are also aspiring for a spot in Paris, were simply overwhelmed with the level of competition in Pool C of the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers last year, having to face the likes of Italy, USA, Poland, and Germany in the tough cluster.
Their shortcomings weren’t just because of the tough competition but also because they were missing the services of their stars, Kim Yeon-koung and Yang Hyo-jin, who both retired from the team after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Korea Republic may enter their season opener as the Volleyball Nations League 2024 odds against China, but they still boast world-class talents from the Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) that can certainly make some noise in the upcoming campaign.
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