With Thailand's 3-0 victory over Sweden! The Women's Volleyball World Championship standings are out: six teams from the round of 16, Brazil, the Netherlands, the USA, and Italy advance

On August 25th Beijing time, the second round of the Women's Volleyball World Championship group stage kicked off. After eight games finished that day, six teams clinched places in the round of 16: Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, and the USA. These six teams all achieved back-to-back wins, securing top two spots in their groups and advancing early to the round of 16. At the same time, Sweden, Egypt, Slovakia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Slovenia were all knocked out after losing twice in a row!

In the second round of Group A, the host Thailand faced Sweden and had no trouble sweeping their opponent 3-0 to advance, earning their second straight win and a spot in the round of 16. The strong Netherlands team also defeated Egypt decisively with a quick 3-0 victory, with Egypt failing to reach 15 points in any set. The Dutch team also secured two consecutive wins and advanced to the round of 16!

In Group B’s second round matches, both games were one-sided disasters. The Italian women’s volleyball team dominated Cuba, delivering a crushing defeat with three straight sets at 25-9, 25-8, and 25-16, earning their second consecutive win and advancing to the round of 16. Meanwhile, Belgium also overwhelmed Slovakia with a commanding performance on both offense and defense, sweeping them 3-0 without allowing the opponent to score more than 19 points in any set!

In Group C’s second round, the highly ranked Brazil team almost suffered a major upset against the underdog France. Brazil was stunned and fell behind 0-2 in sets. Fortunately, after making substitutions in the third set, the changes took immediate effect. Brazil launched a fierce comeback, showing strength in both attack and defense, winning three straight sets to complete a 3-2 comeback victory over France, securing two wins and advancing to the round of 16. Meanwhile, Greece fought hard in a must-win match, beating Puerto Rico 3-1 in four sets to earn their first victory and keep their hopes alive for advancing. They will compete with France for qualification in the final round!

In Group D’s second round, the USA faced Argentina in a fierce Americas derby. Although the USA unexpectedly dropped one set, they still won 3-1, securing their second straight victory and a place in the round of 16. The Czech Republic played a do-or-die match against Slovenia, battling through five sets before the Czech team seized the opportunity to win 3-2, earning their first victory and keeping their chance to qualify alive. They will face Argentina in the final round for the qualification spot, while Slovenia suffered two straight losses and was eliminated!

Written by / Sports Fiction