With Serbia defeated by the Netherlands, the host team was swept away, leaving two teams in the women's volleyball quarterfinals: Japan is truly fortunate.

On August 30th Beijing time, the round of 16 matches in the women's volleyball World Championship finished with Serbia, the defending champions, losing 2-3 to the Netherlands, shattering their three-title hopes. Meanwhile, Japan dominated the host Thailand 3-0. This means the quarterfinal spots are taken by the Netherlands and Japan, who will compete for a semifinal berth. Japan is indeed very lucky, greatly increasing their chances to reach the semifinals!

Serbia's women's volleyball team is a global powerhouse, having won two consecutive World Championships. They aimed to defend their title this time, but reality proved harsh. Boskovic was unexpectedly injured during the group stage and couldn't play in the round of 16. Facing a weakened Netherlands, Serbia lost the first two sets and found themselves in trouble. Although they made a strong comeback by winning the next two sets to level the match, the Dutch duo dominated the final set, pulling away steadily. Serbia had no one to step up and ultimately lost 11-15, resulting in a shocking 2-3 upset elimination. It's truly a huge surprise that the defending champions Serbia were knocked out by the Netherlands, ending their three-peat dream and failing to reach even the quarterfinals. It shows that Serbia has indeed declined and needs a refresh. Boskovic skipping the Volleyball Nations League seemed to be to prepare for the World Championship, but her injury there prevented her from playing — such is fate!

Facing the host Thailand, the Japanese women's volleyball team couldn't pull away by much in each set, but at crucial moments they sealed the deal decisively, winning three straight sets and sending the hosts home. Japan has to be acknowledged as very strong, skillfully using their speed and agility and staying sharp when it counts!

Thus, the Netherlands and Japan advanced to the quarterfinals first. With Serbia eliminated, the Netherlands secured their spot in the last eight. Japan is truly lucky, facing the weakest host in the round of 16 and advancing easily, then meeting the relatively weaker second-tier Netherlands in the quarterfinals. Their chances of reaching the semifinals have greatly improved, and if they play well, they might even reach the final!

Written by / Sports Novel