Brazil defeated Italy in five sets and took the lead after the first week of the VNL
Brazil defeated Italy 3:2 in the major derby of the first week of the regular season of the FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League 2026 in Brasília and opened the competition with a result whose significance goes far beyond the group victory itself. According to Volleyball World's official match report, the match was played on June 7, 2026, in the Brazilian capital, as part of Pool 2, and Brazil won by sets 25:15, 25:22, 22:25, 24:26 and 15:12. After losing the first two sets, Italy managed to equalize and take the match into the decisive section, but the home national team kept its composure in the closing stage of the fifth set and claimed a victory that completed its first opening week without a defeat. Volleyball World described the match in its report as one of the most anticipated duels of the VNL opening because two national teams from the top of the world rankings met. Brazil thereby earned two points, while Italy, despite losing 2:3, still retained one point, which is important in a competition in which qualification for the finals is built through the overall performance in twelve matches of the preliminary phase.
The derby in Brasília brought comebacks, pressure and a decisive fifth set
The first two sets showed Brazil in an exceptionally strong edition, especially in attacking efficiency and control of the rhythm after the opening serve. According to the official score, the home national team opened the match with a convincing 25:15, and then in the second set maintained the lead until the final 25:22. Such a development suggested that Brazil could quickly close the match, but Italy raised the level of play in the third set, reduced the number of errors in key exchanges and took the set 25:22. The fourth set was the most uncertain part of the match, because Brazil had the opportunity to close the encounter, but the Italian national team withstood the pressure and secured 26:24, sending the derby into a tie-break. In the fifth set, according to Volleyball World, Brazil once again found aggressiveness in attack and finished the match at 15:12, preventing a complete Italian comeback.
For Brazil, the victory also carried strong symbolic weight because it was achieved in front of the home crowd, in a week in which Brasília was one of the three centers of the women's part of the VNL. Volleyball World stated that the match was watched by 10,617 spectators in a sold-out arena, which gave the duel the atmosphere of a final, even though it was the first week of the regular season. The home national team used that environment without losing discipline in the final set, and precisely the ability to respond after the Italian comeback was the key difference. Italy, on the other hand, showed depth and resilience because it came back after a 0:2 deficit, confirming that even in a changed lineup it remains among the most stable teams in the competition. In the context of the early stage of the season, the match offered an important indicator of the form, squad depth and psychological readiness of both national teams.
Ana Cristina led Brazil, Antropova carried the Italian comeback
According to Volleyball World's report, Ana Cristina Souza was Brazil's most important attacking figure and finished the match with 22 points, 20 of them from attacks and two from serves. The final point was especially important, as she scored it with a powerful attack from the back line and thus closed a duel that Brazil could have lost after Italy gained momentum in the third and fourth sets. After the match, according to the official report, Ana Cristina emphasized that the Brazilian team remained connected and did not give up even when the match became difficult, which is an important message for a national team that in this cycle is building a new balance between experience and younger players. Julia Bergmann also played a significant role with 18 points, while middle blocker Diana Duarte added 15 points with an exceptionally versatile contribution. Volleyball World listed for Diana six points from attacks, five aces and four blocks, showing that Brazil did not depend on only one attacking solution.
For Italy, according to the same report, the most efficient player was Ekaterina Antropova with 18 points, including 15 attacking points and three aces. Her performance was especially important in the phase in which Italy was trying to stabilize reception, speed up the transition from defense to attack and return to scoreboard balance. Volleyball World pointed out that during the first week Antropova played in a different role, with a shift from the opposite position toward an outside-hitter role, further highlighting the adjustments in the Italian lineup. Italy appeared in Brasília without some of the players who had marked its winning run over the previous two years, so this defeat does not change the picture of the national team's strength, but it shows how demanding the VNL calendar is when playing with rotations and new roles. Antropova, according to the official report, emphasized after the match the value of coming back from a two-set deficit and said that young players can grow through matches like this.
The end of an Italian streak that lasted more than two years
The greatest context of Brazil's victory concerns the end of an exceptional Italian streak. Volleyball World reported that before the defeat in Brasília, Italy had 39 consecutive victories in international volleyball, and that it had last lost before that on June 1, 2024, also to Brazil, in the preliminary phase of the VNL. During that period, according to the official report, Italy won Olympic gold in Paris 2024, the title of world champions in 2025 and the VNL titles in 2024 and 2025. For that reason, the result from Brasília is not only a victory in one regular-season match, but the end of a series that marked the most successful period of the Italian women's national team in recent history. Brazil was again the team that found a way to stop the Italians in five sets, further strengthening the rivalry between the two national teams.
For Italy, the defeat does not mean a dramatic drop, because the point won still keeps it near the top of the early table, but the symbolic effect is large. A team that for more than two years had built a reputation as an almost untouchable national team now enters the continuation of the VNL with its first defeat in the cycle, and that may change the way opponents tactically confront it. At the same time, the Italian comeback from 0:2 to 2:2 shows that even in an uncomfortable away environment it can rely on mental strength and a broad squad. In sporting terms, the 2:3 defeat leaves room for corrections, but it does not erase the quality that Italy showed in the previous matches of the first week. According to the official standings after the match, Italy finished the week with three wins, one loss and 10 points, which remains a strong foundation for the continuation of the preliminary phase.
Brazil finished the first week undefeated and with 11 points
According to Volleyball World's official table, after four matches played Brazil had four wins, no defeats, 11 points, a 12:4 set ratio and a very favorable points ratio. Such a performance brought it the top of the standings after the first week, alongside Japan, which also remained undefeated. The victory against Italy brought Brazil more than just points, because it confirmed that the home national team can withstand a high-intensity match against an opponent that had won the most important titles in recent seasons. In the VNL system, every point has great value, since qualification for the finals is determined after twelve matches of the preliminary phase. Brazil therefore left Brasília with an almost ideal record: three wins with a full points return in the earlier part of the week and a 3:2 victory over Italy in the toughest match.
In the first week of Pool 2, according to the official schedule and results, Brazil defeated the Netherlands 3:1, the Dominican Republic 3:1, Bulgaria 3:0 and Italy 3:2. Such a run shows the ability to adapt to different styles of play, from physically strong opponents to technically and tactically organized teams such as Italy. Before losing to Brazil, Italy also had a successful week, as it defeated Bulgaria 3:0, the Netherlands 3:0 and Türkiye 3:1. That is precisely why the direct duel in Brasília carried additional weight: it decided who would leave the Brazilian group with the best impression and the strongest results capital. Brazil passed that test, but Italy, with the point from the defeat, maintained a high position in the fight for the final tournament.
VNL 2026 brings a long road to the finals in Macao
According to Volleyball World's official competition formula, VNL 2026 in both the women's and men's competitions brings together 18 national teams each, and every team in the preliminary phase plays at least 12 matches across three competition weeks. In each competition week, three pools are played at three different locations, with six national teams in each pool, which means that the competition rewards not only current form, but also the ability to recover, travel and manage the squad. Volleyball World announced that the eight best national teams according to the standings system after the preliminary phase enter the final phase, with a guaranteed place for the finals host. The women's finals are scheduled from July 22 to 26, 2026, in Macao, while FIVB states that the best seven national teams from the preliminary phase will join host China there. This gives Brazil and Italy enough room to continue building form, but their early points already now reduce the pressure in the coming weeks.
The VNL schedule further emphasizes the importance of Brazil's victory because the competition continues across different time zones, conditions and opponents. According to the official schedule, Brazil plays in Ankara in the second week, where France, Belgium, China and Germany await it, while Italy continues the competition in Pasig City in the Philippines against Czechia, Serbia, the USA and Japan. The third week then takes Brazil to Osaka and Italy to Hong Kong, where the standings for the finals will finally take shape. In such a calendar, a victory over a direct competitor can have multiple value: it brings points, confidence and a better position in possible tie-breaks. On the other hand, Italy will have the opportunity to respond against several teams that are also fighting for the top, so the defeat in Brasília remains an important signal, but not a final judgment.
A rivalry that has outgrown the framework of one match
Brazil and Italy have built one of the most important rivalries in women's national-team volleyball over the last few seasons. In its schedule preview for 2026, Volleyball World described the duel in Brasília as a rematch of last year's VNL final, which explains why the first-week encounter had an almost finals-like charge. Italy entered the competition as the defending VNL champion, the reigning Olympic and world champion, while Brazil, in front of its home crowd, had the opportunity to send a message that it can again compete for the top. The fact that domination, a drop in concentration, recovery and final pressure alternated over five sets made this match a representative example of what the VNL wants to offer: early duels of the strongest national teams that carry real competitive significance. For Brazil, the victory is confirmation of depth and attacking breadth, and for Italy a reminder that even the longest streaks end in matches in which the opponent finds enough courage for the final points.
In the broader sporting sense, the match in Brasília may also influence the dynamics of the rest of the season. After the victory, Brazil received a boost in the fight for the best possible placing in the preliminary phase, which is important because the VNL finals bring direct elimination pairings in which the standings determine the quarterfinal opponent. Italy, meanwhile, will have to process a defeat that came after a major comeback, which can often be useful if the staff draws clear conclusions from it about rotations, reception and distribution of attacks. According to the available official data, both national teams remain in the top group of candidates for the finals, but after the first week Brazil took the initiative with a result that will be remembered both because of the table and because of the end of the Italian series. The continuation of the VNL will show whether the match in Brasília was only an exceptional derby at the beginning of the competition or an announcement of a shift in the balance of power at the top of women's volleyball.
Sources:
- Volleyball World – official match report for Brazil – Italy in the VNL 2026, with the date, venue, competition phase and score by sets (link)
- Volleyball World – official report on Brazil's victory over Italy, the end of Italy's streak, attendance and the performance of key players (link)
- Volleyball World – official standings of the women's VNL 2026 after the first week of competition (link)
- Volleyball World – official competition formula for VNL 2026, including the number of national teams, the preliminary phase and the finals (link)
- FIVB – announcement of the VNL 2026 schedule and confirmation of the women's finals in Macao from July 22 to 26, 2026 (link)