Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women's Volleyball Nations League match.
France are fighting for a valuable eighth-place finish in the standings. They trail the USA by just a single point, but now face a daunting test against Japan, who are securely placed within the top five.
France (women)
The French have struggled for consistency throughout the tournament, generally managing to earn points only against lower-ranked opposition. They have lost all of their matches against teams currently sitting in the top eight, and on two occasions failed to force a tiebreak. A straight-sets defeat to China was particularly revealing, with the team failing to score more than 18 points in any of the sets.
Japan (women)
Japan have claimed six wins from eight group-stage matches, with five of those victories coming in straight sets. This dominant run reflects the quality throughout their squad. Yukiko Wada is among the tournament’s top five scorers, averaging 17.5 points per match, while Mayu Ishikawa adds a further 15.4 points per game in support.
France (women) vs Japan (women) Prediction
Japan are expected to dominate this contest. France appear ill-equipped to cope with the offensive firepower of the Japanese or to match their organisation in defence. A one-sided outcome seems likely, with the match unlikely to progress beyond three sets.
