Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women's Volleyball Nations League match.
Japan began their Nations League campaign with a dominant win and are once again targeting a podium finish. Meanwhile, Serbia will be eager to respond after a 2:3 loss to the Dominican Republic, a match in which they had led 2:0 in sets before eventually losing in five.
Serbia (women)
Currently ranked 10th in the world, Serbia are on a five-match losing streak, including two matches where they held a 2:0 set advantage. Nonetheless, they have shown resilience and typically make strong starts. In each of their last four matches, the opening set featured at least 46 total points. At the Tokyo 2024 Olympics, Serbia were only swept by the world’s top-ranked Italy, while managing to push all their other opponents. Even in last year’s Nations League campaign, they managed to win at least one set in 10 of their 12 matches.
Japan (women)
Japan, ranked 7th globally, opened the tournament with a commanding 3:0 victory over the Netherlands, displaying control in every set. They are in excellent form and considered among the leading medal contenders, much like last year when they reached the final. However, despite their disciplined structure and high-tempo play, they have occasionally struggled to maintain focus, especially against assertive and high-energy opposition. Before that victory, the Japanese side had lost three consecutive matches to Serbia.
Serbia (women) vs Japan (women) Prediction
Despite their current run of defeats, Serbia continue to demonstrate a strong competitive edge and are known for starting matches with intensity. They are likely to pose a real challenge to Japan, and are expected to claim at least one set.
