The Volleyball Women’s World Championship will be held in two host countries this year, the Netherlands and Poland, from September 23 to October 15. Everything you need to know is provided below.

Defenders of the title Serbia is one of 24 nations competing in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, which begins on Friday, September 23, in the Netherlands and Poland.

The 2018 champions hope to defend the championship, while Team USA hopes to add the title of world’s best to their Tokyo 2020 Olympic victory while reclaiming the title they last held in 2014.

The Pool C game between Serbia and the United States, which takes place on October 1 in Lodz, Poland, will provide an early indicator of both teams’ form.

Three-time global champions Japan, two-time winners the People’s Republic of China, and European gold medalists Italy will also compete, while Colombia will make their debut.

When and where will the Volleyball Women’s World Championships be held?

The Volleyball Women’s World Championship is held in the Netherlands and Poland from September 23 to October 15.

The competition is divided into three phases: preliminary, second, and final, which include the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and medal matches.

All 24 nations, divided into four groups, will play their first game at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands, before squads from Pools B and C travel to Gdansk and Lodz, Poland, respectively. Arnhem will retain Pools A and D.

In collaboration with Lodz, the Netherlands’ harbor of Rotterdam will host the second competition phase from 4 to October 9.

The quarter-finals and finals will be held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and Gliwice, Poland, with the former hosting all medal matches.

The quarter-finals will be held on October 11, the semi-finals on October 12 and 13, and the bronze medal play-off and gold and silver-medal match on October 15.

What is the format of the competition?

The 24 qualified teams are divided into four groups for the first ten days of the tournament, as shown below:

• Pool A – Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Cameroon, Kenya
• Pool B – Poland, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Croatia
• Pool C – United States, Serbia, Germany, Bulgaria, Canada, Kazakhstan
• Pool D – Brazil, People’s Republic of China, Japan, Colombia, Argentina, Czech Republic

Following each nation’s five-match schedule, the four best-ranked squads in each pool advance to the second phase.

These 16 surviving clubs will be divided into two groups and will play four games against opponents they did not face in the first round.

The top four in each pool will compete in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and medal matches.

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Volleyball Women’s World Championship Athletes to Watch:

Tijana Boskovic will be one to watch again, especially following her performance at last summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. With 192 points in eight games, the Serbian averaged 24 points per game. She also holds the world record for spike speed, 110.3 km/h.

Paola Egonu of Italy, one of the Olympic Flag Bearers for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, returns to try to claim the gold that her team came so close to winning last time around, losing 3-2 to Serbia in the final.

Polish playmaker Joanna Wolosz was awarded ‘best setter’ during the 2020 Summer Olympics European Qualification event, and she’ll be trying to replicate that form in front of a home crowd. Myrthe Schoot, a Dutch libero, will also be seeking home support.

Jordan Larson of the United States, who has won the Olympic triad of gold (Tokyo 2020), silver (London 2012), and bronze (2016), flirted with retirement following his triumph in Japan but now appears to be aiming for Paris 2024.

Kim Yeon Koung of the Republic of Korea, who has over one million fans on her YouTube channel that shows her daily life, will try to recapture the form that saw her earn MVP in London 2012.

Schedule for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in 2022:

All times are in Central European Summer Time (UTC +2).

• Sunday, September 25 2022 – Sunday, October 2 2022
  First phase, Arnhem, Netherlands / Gdansk and Lodz, Poland
• Tuesday, October 4 2022 – Sunday, October 9 2022
  The second phase, Rotterdam, Netherlands / Lodz, Poland
• Tuesday, October 11 2022
  Quarter-final 1, 5 pm Apeldoorn, Netherlands
  Quarter-final 2, 5.30 pm Gliwice, Poland
  Quarter-final 3, 8 pm Apeldoorn, Netherlands
  Quarter-final 4, 8.30 pm Gliwice, Poland
• Wednesday, October 12 2022
  Semi-final 1, 8.30 pm Gliwice, Poland
• Thursday, October 13 2022
  Semi-final 2, 8 pm Apeldoorn, Netherlands
• Saturday, October 15
  3rd – 4th place match, 4 pm Apeldoorn, Netherlands
  1st – 2nd place match, 8 pm Apeldoorn, Netherlands

See here for the whole schedule and venues Volleyball Women’s World Championship.

More information on the Volleyball Women’s World Championship tournament may be found here.