Brazil defeated China in Ankara and kept a perfect record in the Nations League
On Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Ankara, Brazil defeated China 3:1 in a match of the women's edition of the Volleyball Nations League, as part of Pool 4 of the second competition week. The official Volleyball World match report states that the encounter was played in the capital of Turkey at 16:00 local time, and the sets ended 26-24, 25-18, 19-25 and 25-15 in favor of the Brazilian national team. With this, Brazil continued its winning streak in the preliminary phase and remained the only undefeated national team in the 2026 women's VNL season, although the current standings after later matches showed that the United States had one point more with one more match played. With the defeat, China ended its own positive streak and, after seven appearances, remained on five wins and two defeats, which according to the official Volleyball World standings keeps it in the upper part of the table, with the additional fact that it is the host of the Finals in Macau. The match was important both because of the direct clash between two teams that had been collecting wins in the previous part of the competition, and because of the broader fight for a place among the top eight before the continuation of the preliminary phase.
A firm start by Brazil and China's response in the third set
Brazil laid the key foundation for victory in the first two sets, especially in the first, which according to the official score went to a difference. The 26-24 set shows how tight the start of the duel was, and in such circumstances a 1:0 lead often changes the tone of the entire match because it gives the team that wins it greater tactical breadth in the continuation. In the second section, Brazil was more convincing and, with 25-18, reached 2:0, putting China in a position in which it no longer had room for a longer drop in concentration. The Chinese national team nevertheless responded in the third set, winning it 25-19 and thereby showing that this was not a one-sided encounter, but a match in which it had to find solutions against Brazil's height, block and wider rotation. Brazil then increased the pressure again in the fourth set and finished the duel with 25-15, a result that points to Brazil's cleanest control precisely in the final section.
According to Volleyball World's report, Brazil in Ankara relied on experience, but also on the depth of the squad that head coach José Roberto Guimarães is using during the early phase of the national-team season. In the starting lineup against China were Macris, Rosamaria, Ana Cristina, Julia Bergmann, Júlia Kudiess, Luzia and libero Marcelle, while Roberta, Kisy, Tainara, Helena and Diana also got an opportunity during the match. Such a distribution of minutes is important in the context of the VNL, because matches are played in series and on different continents, while teams are at the same time trying to collect points and build form for the later stages of the season. Against China, Brazil showed that it can win even when rotating the lineup, which is especially valuable in a competition in which the standings change almost daily. On the other hand, China entered the encounter as a young team on a winning surge, but against a physically strong and tactically more mature opponent, it lacked continuity through all four sets.
Bergmann led the attack, Luzia marked the match with blocking
The most efficient Brazilian player was Julia Bergmann, whom Volleyball World reported as having recorded 20 points. Her contribution was distributed across 15 attacking points, three blocks and two aces, which shows that she was important not only in finishing attacks but also in pressure at the net and from the opening serve. Rosamaria, according to the same report, was Brazil's second option with a high attacking contribution, while Ana Cristina added 13 points and thereby further relieved the main attacking lines. Brazil overall had an extremely important contribution from the middle of the net, and it was precisely that segment that steered the match at moments when China was trying to prolong rallies and return to level terms. In a sporting sense, the victory did not come only from attack execution, but also from Brazil's ability to stop the opponent's attacks before the Chinese game could develop into rhythm.
Luzia stood out in particular, as according to Volleyball World she won ten of Brazil's total of 16 blocking points. In addition, she added one point each in attack and from serve, so her performance carried both statistical and tactical weight. Volleyball World also pointed out that ten blocks are the second-highest individual blocking figure ever recorded in the VNL, behind the performance of Serbian middle blocker Hena Kurtagić, who had 11 blocks against Canada the previous year. Such a performance is especially significant because Luzia received an important role in the starting lineup against China, and through her block Brazil closed the space that the Chinese national team needed for faster combinations. Captain Gabi, who according to the report was not in the lineup for this encounter, emphasized after the match for Volleyball World that the team reacted well in difficult moments and that the younger players are using the opportunities given to them by the coaching staff.
What the result means for the standings in the preliminary phase
In the VNL, the preliminary phase is not played through classic separate groups from which teams immediately move into the knockout phase, but through several tournament stops and a common standings table. According to Volleyball World's current official standings, after part of the second-week matches the United States was first with 20 points from eight matches, while Brazil had 19 points from seven matches and a 7-0 record. Japan and Poland each had 16 points from seven appearances, Italy was on 15, and Türkiye and China were on 13 points, with China after the defeat to Brazil remaining on five wins and two defeats. Such standings show how dense the top of the competition is, but also how valuable Brazil's streak is: an undefeated team has a real possibility of quickly taking over or strengthening first place as soon as the number of matches played evens out. For China, the defeat does not change the fact that it is still in contention for the Finals, but it reduces its security in the battle with national teams that are close in number of wins and points.
The format further increases the importance of every three-point victory, because the seven best-placed national teams from the preliminary part qualify for the final phase together with the host of the Finals, China. The FIVB announced that the 2026 women's VNL Finals will be played in Macau from July 22 to 26, which gives the preliminary rounds a dual role: a results battle for the quarterfinals and the gradual assembly of the roster for the most demanding part of the summer. Brazil therefore leaves Ankara not only with a victory against a direct competitor, but also with confirmation that it can maintain a high level after previous demanding matches. China, on the other hand, enters the final stretch of the preliminary phase with the lesson that against the biggest opponents it must maintain reception quality and attacking precision for longer. In a competition with 18 national teams, a few lost sets or points can later determine the opponent in the quarterfinals, so matches like this are viewed more broadly than the result itself.
Ankara as an important stop of the VNL's second week
Pool 4 in Ankara brought together Türkiye, Brazil, France, Belgium, Germany and China, according to Volleyball World's official information about hosts and tickets for the 2026 season. It is one of the key stops of the second week of the women's competition, because it combined the home Turkish national team with several selections aiming for the Finals or at least for entry into the upper part of the standings. Ankara Arena thereby received matches that were important not only to the local audience, but also to the overall standings of the competition, especially because part of the competition was, during the same period, competing in other Asian and European host cities. Brazil arrived in Türkiye after its home tournament week in Brasília, and after Ankara it awaits the third week in Osaka, where the schedule according to the FIVB brings new demanding duels. China will, after the Turkish stop, continue to seek the stability it needs to confirm its place among the teams going to Macau.
The importance of the Ankara stop can also be seen in the schedule that the FIVB announced for the entire season. The women's competition began on June 3, 2026, and the preliminary phase stretches through three competition weeks before the Finals in Macau. In its schedule announcement, the FIVB stated that the VNL brings together 18 women's and 18 men's national teams, and matches are played in several cities and on several continents, which gives the tournament a global character and imposes a major logistical challenge on the teams. In such a format, victories against direct competitors also carry psychological value, because through a series of short tournaments national teams are seeking not only points, but also confirmation that they can withstand the rhythm of travel, changes of arenas and different styles of play. Brazil's victory over China fits precisely into that broader pattern: the result is concrete in sporting terms, but the message is also that Brazil's rotation is functioning at this stage of the season.
Brazil confirmed continuity, China remained in the race
For Brazil, the triumph in four sets is another indicator of stability in a season in which the national team is seeking a step toward the very top of the VNL. The official statistics and Volleyball World report emphasize two things that were decisive: the attacking reliability of Julia Bergmann and Luzia's dominance in blocking. These are elements that can be decisive in the later phase of the competition as well, because against the best teams, differences often arise from several consecutive defenses, blocks or serving runs, and not only from overall attacking strength. In Ankara, Brazil also gained additional value from the fact that it won without relying on the same lineup every time, which reduces the load on the team's key players and increases competition within the squad. Such squad depth is especially important because the VNL does not end with the second week, but continues with new travel and matches that will decide the final position before the quarterfinals.
Despite the defeat, China maintains a sufficiently good position in the standings and, as host of the Finals, has a guaranteed place in the final tournament, but the encounter with Brazil exposed the difference between a good streak and the ability to sustain it against a selection that can punish every weaker rotation. The third set showed that the Chinese national team has a response and can change the course of a match when it reduces errors and speeds up the game. However, the fourth set at 25-15 showed that against Brazil it is not enough to win one section, but that the same level must be maintained until the end. For the VNL standings, this means that the continuation of the preliminary phase will be important for China to confirm its sporting status among the leading teams, regardless of its hosting role in the Finals. Brazil, meanwhile, leaves Ankara with a victory that carries results weight, statistical confirmation and a clear message to the competition that its rhythm in the 2026 VNL is not slowing down so far.
Sources:
- Volleyball World – official match report for China–Brazil, date, place, result and sets of Pool 4 in Ankara (link)
- Volleyball World Brasil – official match report, performances of Julia Bergmann, Luzia, Rosamaria and context of Brazil's streak (link)
- Volleyball World – current official standings and statistical overview of the 2026 women's VNL (link)
- FIVB – announcement of the official 2026 VNL schedule, Finals format and dates of the Final Phase in Macau (link)
- Volleyball World – official information about the hosting of Pool 4 in Ankara, the arena and participants of the week (link)