Brazilian women’s volleyball team reaches unprecedented VNL final after victory against Italy By Thiago Lemos
4 min read
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The Brazilian women’s volleyball team booked its place in the Nations League (VNL) final on July 25, 2026, by defeating Italy in a thrilling semifinal. The team, which started by losing the first set, demonstrated great power of reaction and turned the game 3-2 (25/21, 21/25, 24/26, 25/21 and 12/15) in Macau, China. Forward Ana Cristina was the highlight of the match, scoring 23 points. With the result over the current two-time VNL champions, Brazil keeps its hope of winning its first title in the competition alive, after having secured four silver medals since 2018. The decision for gold will take place on July 26, at 8:30 am (Brasília time), against Türkiye or China.
Ana Cristina, the highest scorer in the semifinal and already one of Brazil’s main offensive names in this edition of the VNL, shared her emotions after the crucial victory. The 22-year-old winger celebrated his performance against Italy and made a point of praising the collective effort. “It’s even difficult to talk. There are a lot of emotions. Last year, I wasn’t in the finals because of a knee injury. Now I try to have fun on the court, call the team. We believed we could beat Italy. I’m very happy, very proud of the girls. It’s never easy to play against the Italians, especially in the conditions we’re in. The championship is very long, exhausting. Many girls are in pain. But we have a common goal and we want to get there”, said the athlete.
Injury challenges and team overcoming
Throughout the VNL campaign, the Brazilian team faced several physical problems that tested the squad’s resilience. Important players like Gabi didn’t even take the court due to lower back discomfort. Júlia Kudiess, another essential starter, suffered an injury in the last round of the qualifying phase, and Tainara was also injured during the Nations League. The list of absences also includes libero Nyeme, who remained in Brazil to accompany her daughter Antonella, just over a year old.
Even with the absences, the team led by José Roberto Guimarães managed to overcome an opponent who proved to be a considerable nuisance in recent seasons. Italy, in addition to being two-time Nations League champions, won gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and at the 2025 World Cup. On several occasions, Brazil felt Italian power, such as in last year’s VNL final, which makes this victory even more significant for the team’s recent history.
Julia Bergmann also commented on the relevance of the victory, highlighting teamwork. “It shows that the work is paying off. We believed, from the first point, that we could win, even with Italy being a very strong team. Let’s celebrate and already think about tomorrow’s final. It was a team triumph, with one team shouting in the other’s face”, reported the player, celebrating the unity of the group.
Brazil seeks to end a long drought for an international title
In addition to seeking the unprecedented title of the Women’s Nations League, Brazil also aims to end a drought of significant achievements in intercontinental competitions that has lasted almost a decade. The team’s last major victory in a tournament of this size occurred in 2017, at the Grand Prix. Since then, the yellow-green team has reached the podium on some important occasions, such as at the Tokyo (silver) and Paris (bronze) Olympics, but the gold medal has been an elusive goal.
Details of the clash between Brazil and Italy in the VNL semi-final
The match between Brazil and Italy was marked by a lot of balance and twists and turns. Initially, the Italian team got the better of the first set, closing 25-21 and taking the lead in the semifinal. However, the Brazilian team returned with a different attitude in the following part, managing to triumph by the same score of 25 to 21.
The third set stood out as the most competitive of all, with the teams exchanging points until the end, when Brazil managed to win 26-24. In the fourth set, Italy maintained the lead on the scoreboard throughout, controlling the advantage and winning again 25-21, forcing a tie-break.
In the tiebreaker set, the Brazilian team started with an advantage, opening the scoring with an ace from setter Roberta. The team built a four-point lead, but allowed a draw. However, in the final stretch, they managed to regain control of the game. With efficient defenses and Ana Cristina’s offensive strength, Brazil beat the Italians 15 to 12, intensely celebrating their qualification for the grand final.
