JAPAN 🇯🇵 vs UKRAINE 🇺🇦 | Highlights | Women's Volleyball World Championship 2025
JAPAN vs UKRAINE | Highlights | Women's Volleyball World Championship 2025. Japan comes from behind to win a close full-set match against Ukraine at the 2025 Women's World Championship!
The 2025 Women's World Championships has been taking place in Bangkok and other locations in Thailand since Friday, August 22nd.
The Japanese women's volleyball team, ranked 4th in the FIVB world rankings (before the start of the match), faced Ukraine, ranked 17th, on Monday, August 25th, and won a close full-set match with a score of 3-2 (25-27, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24, 15-11).
The first set began with a service ace from Ukraine. Spikes from Sato Yoshino and quicks from Shimamura Haruyo gave Japan an early lead of 6-4. However, Ukraine used their height and power to make inroads with blocks and spikes, and took the lead to 8-10. A spike from Akimoto Misora and a block from Shimamura secured a break, and the game continued to go back and forth through the middle of the set. With the score at 21-21, Sato scored a service ace to turn the game around. A serve from Kitamado Ayane gave Japan set point, but Ukraine forced it to deuce, and Japan lost the first set 25-27.
Early in the second set, Ukraine was trailing 1-4. With broad attacks from Shimamura and a service ace from Akimoto, Japan seized the momentum and tied the score at 5-5. Ukraine again trailed at 8-11, but Japan caught up with quick plays from Miyabe Airi. However, Ukraine's blocks thwarted Japan, and with a large lead of 9-16, Japan sent in two substitutes, Wada Yukiko and Nakagawa Tsukasa. Japan fought back with spikes from Ishikawa Mayu and Sato, scoring four consecutive points, but lost the set 20-25.
With no room for error in the third set, Japan started with Wada and Yamada Nichika. The early stages were a back-and-forth battle with both teams trading points, but spikes from Ishikawa and Wada, and a service ace from Seki Nanami, led to eight consecutive points, extending Japan's lead to 16-7. Continuing their momentum, Japan was the first to reach the 20-point mark, and a spike from Wada earned them set point, taking the third set 25-20.
In the early stages of the fourth set, it looked like Ukraine would make a run, but Sato's spikes and Shimamura's blocks kept the momentum going at 6-6. They then took a break from Sato's serve and successfully turned the game around to 7-6. Both teams continued to score points until the middle of the set, when the score was 15-15, but Ukraine continued to score consecutive points to take the lead at 15-17. With Wada's spikes and other efforts, Japan continued to score consecutive points, becoming the first team to reach the 20-point mark. The match remained close until the end, when Ishikawa scored a final spike to take the score to 26-24, forcing a full set.
The fifth and final set started with Ukraine scoring. From the beginning, Ukraine used powerful spikes, while Japan scored points with good receives and spikes aimed at the fingertips of Sato and Wada. Japan took the lead with four consecutive points to make it 10-7 in the middle of the set, and then with a spike from Ishikawa and a block from Yamada, they had a set point at 14-10. Yamada's final block was successful, giving Japan a close full-set victory at 15-10.