The Volleyball Nations League 2025 Men's Final Round is being held in Ningbo, China. The final match between Poland and Italy will be held on Sunday, August 3rd at 8:00 PM Japan time.
In this article, I will introduce both teams and give my outlook for the match.
Poland
World ranking: 1st
5th place in the preliminary round (8 wins, 4 losses)
In the qualifying rounds, Poland actively used young players who were playing for the national team for the first time or who had little experience, but they consistently won games and advanced to the final round in fifth place in the qualifying rounds.
In addition to players who were originally scheduled to take a break from national team activities, injuries continued to occur one after another just before and during the tournament, but for Poland, a volleyball powerhouse boasting the world's best player pool, this did not pose a major obstacle to their advancement to the finals.
In the final round, they defeated Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Brazil, who had finished first in the qualifiers and were the top contenders to win, in the semifinals, advancing to the finals without losing a single set.
Projected starting lineup
OH: Leon, Semeniuk
MB: Kochanowski, Novak
OP: Sasaku
S: Commenter
L: Popivchak
Average height (excluding libero): 200.8cm
Click here for detailed member introductions ▼
Featured Players
Kevin Sasak
Opposite
207cm
Although he is a late bloomer, having been selected for the national team for the first time at age 28, he made a significant contribution to the team's advancement to the finals by scoring the most points on the team with 33 in the final round, thanks to his ability to hit high and sharp shots. In particular, his attack success rate is an astounding 70%, while a side attacker with a success rate of over 50% is considered top-class. The gold medal this year for VNL rests in his hands.
Italy
World ranking: 2nd
Qualifying Round: 2nd place (10 wins, 2 losses)
Unlike Poland, Italy used many of their teammates from last year's Paris Olympics from the first week of the qualifying round and steadily racked up wins, advancing to the final round in second place behind Brazil.
In the final round, there were some tough moments in both the quarter-final against Cuba and the semi-final against Slovenia, but they showed impressive resilience and won both games 3-1 to reach the final.
Surprisingly, Italy has yet to win a medal at the VNL. Will their first medal be gold or silver?
Projected starting lineup
OH: Micheletto, Ravia
MB: Galassi, Gargiulo
OP: Romano
S: Giannelli
L: Barrazo
Average height (excluding libero): 203.8cm
Click here for detailed member introductions ▼
Featured Players
Alessandro Michieletto
Outside hitter
211cm
Standing 211cm tall and capable of spiking and serving with his left arm, he is a consistent point scorer for the Italian national team. He has already scored 43 points in the two matches of the final round, making him the top scorer. He also has experience as a libero in the under-19 age group, making him a very solid defender, making him extremely difficult to break down. Will he be able to break down the Polish wall and bring home Italy's first gold medal?
English 
Japanese