VNL women’s finals to return to Macau after 15 years

[Photo; Renato Marques]

The last time the competition was held in Macau was in 2011, under the name FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix, with the finals held at the East Asian Games Dome from August 24–28, 2011.

According to information obtained by the Times from organizers, the same venue is expected to host this year’s finals.

Back in 2011, the finals featured the top eight teams from the first round, including Brazil, the United States, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Japan, China (host), and Thailand.

The United States won the tournament, defeating Brazil 3–0 in the final, retaining their title. Destinee Hooker of the USA also earned the award for best player of the tournament.

A recurring annual event, the women’s VNL returned to Macau in 2024 for the first time in four years after a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2024, Macau hosted matches from the VNL’s preliminary phase, featuring eight teams including China, Brazil, Italy, and Japan.

It was also the first time the VNL was hosted at Galaxy Arena, unlike previous editions, which were held at the Macau Forum (except for the 2011 finals).

Before arriving in Macau for the final leg, the women’s VNL will host nine preliminary-stage events during Weeks 1–3.

In the first week, matches will be held in Brazil, China, and Canada, while in Week 2, host cities will include Turkey, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Week 3 will, as usual, see a leg played in Hong Kong and two others played concurrently in Japan and Serbia.

Last year, the women’s VNL finals were held in Lodz, Poland, with Italy winning, beating Brazil 3–1 in the final.

Week 1 of this year’s tournament is scheduled for June 3–7.