By Ren Escosio
The 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) officially ended its preliminary round this week, with South Korea being relegated after finishing last.
South Korea’s women’s team is expected to compete in the 2026 AVC Nations Cup after the nation’s poor performance in the international volleyball competition.
This year’s VNL event saw 18 women’s teams compete against each other during the pool phase.
South Korea’s spot in the 2026 edition would be given to the highest FIVB-ranked country that did not compete in this year’s tournament.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the Korean women’s volleyball team continues to struggle in international competitions after the departure of volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung from the national team.
VNL quarter-finals set
Italy finished the preliminary round as the top team with a 12-0 win-loss record. They will play the eighth-placed United States (7-5).
Second-placed Brazil (11-1) will face seventh-placed Germany (7-5), third-placed Japan (9-3) will battle sixth-placed Turkey (8-4), and fourth-placed Poland (9-3) will duel with fifth-placed China (9-3) in the VNL Women’s quarter-finals.
The first round of the VNL Finals will be held in Lodz, Poland, from July 23 to 27.
France finished this year’s tournament in ninth place, followed by the Netherlands (10), the Czech Republic (11), the Dominican Republic (12), Bulgaria (13), Belgium (14), Serbia (15), Canada (16), Thailand (17), and South Korea as the 18th-placed team.
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Thailand survive relegation
Thai players were left visibly emotional after the end of the preliminary rounds when they managed to avoid relegation.
Thailand were able to secure a crucial one point during their match against Canada at the College Park Centre in Arlington, United States.
The Thai team was defeated in five sets (25-17, 23-25, 28-30, 25-23, 13-15) by their Canadian opponents, but the one point they gained from the loss was enough to keep them alive for VNL 2026.
Thailand finished the tournament in 17th place, with six points from their 1-11 record.
South Korea also had a 1-11 record, but the team only had five points after the preliminary round.
Thai spiker Ajcharaporn Kongyot was seen crying during the post-game interview after leading her team’s fight for VNL survival.
“We played a very good game. All joined forces with a mission to stay in the VNL next year,” she said after the match against Canada, as cited by the Bangkok Post.
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Hazel Camba 
Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers