Paris 2024: Brazil faced with VNL medalists Poland and Japan in Pool B

The South Paris Arena 1 is ready to welcome the top women’s volleyball national teams on the planet as, starting on July 28, the venue located in the French capital will host the tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Pool play will be the first phase of the tournament, with eight of the 12 teams entered moving forward to the elimination rounds. Three pools were formed ahead of the start of the event and, at the conclusion of the pool phase, all three pool winners and runners-up will advance to the quarterfinals, as well as the two best-ranked third-placed sides.

Reuniting teams from four different continents, Pool B features three sides that made it to the semifinals of the Volleyball Nations League 2024 just a month ago - Brazil, Poland and Japan. The fourth national team in the pool, Kenya know they have tough challenges ahead, but will try to improve from their most recent Olympic appearance, at Tokyo 2020.

Here’s the most important information about the four teams that were drawn into Pool B:

Brazil

The second-best-placed women’s national team in the FIVB World Rankings, Brazil will try to climb another step on the Olympic podium after taking silver in Tokyo 2020. The Brazilians have continued to appear among the top teams in the world in the major international tournaments, taking silver at both the FIVB World Championship and the Volleyball Nations League in 2022 while also dominating at the continental level with South American titles in 2021 and 2023.

Longtime head coach José ‘Zé Roberto’ Guimarães brought back six players who took the team to the podium in Tokyo three years ago – setters Macris Carneiro and Roberta Ratzke, opposite Rosamaria Montibeller, outside hitters Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães and Ana Cristina Souza and middle blocker Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva. The return of legendary middle blocker Thaisa Menezes, a two-time Olympic champion in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and the emergence of outside hitter Júlia Bergmann strengthened the Brazilian squad for the Paris Games.

Poland

Poland are back in the Olympics after 16 years and they arrive in Paris in a good position to fight for medals, ranked fourth in the world. The Polish reinforced their status as one of the top teams in the world with remarkable recent results as they secured back-to-back bronze medals in the VNL, in 2023 and 2024. The team also made a solid campaign at the 2022 World Championship, ranking seventh.

Setter Joanna Wołosz, opposite Magdalena Stysiak, middle blocker Agnieszka Korneluk and libero Maria Stenzel appear among the best in their positions in international volleyball and are the pillars of the team coached by Stefano Lavarini. Outside hitters Martyna Łukasik and Natalia Mędrzyk will also be pivotal for the Polish success in Paris.

Paris 2024 – Match Schedule

Japan

The seventh-best women’s national team in the FIVB World Rankings, Japan will try to return to the podium for the first time since London 2012, when they took bronze. Winning a silver medal at the VNL 2024 and finishing fifth at the 2022 World Championships showed that the Japanese can battle the top teams in the world. In 2023, they won a pair of continental medals, taking silver at the Asian Games and bronze at the Asian Championship.

Head coach Masayoshi Manabe brought back four players who represented Japan at home at the Tokyo Games three years ago – outside hitters Sarina Koga, who will retire after the Games, Mayu Ishikawa and Kotona Hayashi and middle blocker Nichika Yamada. Setter Koyomi Iwasaki, outside hitter Arisa Inoue and libero Manami Kojima are other stars in the team.

Kenya

Ranked 20^th in the world, Kenya are the best African women’s national team in international volleyball and will make back-to-back Olympic appearances after finishing 12^th in Tokyo three years ago. After their most recent campaign in the Games, the Kenyans ranked 19^th in the 2022 World Championship and finished sixth and fifth at the Volleyball Challenger Cup in 2023 and 2024, respectively. They also triumphed at the African Championship in 2023.

Recently-appointed head coach Japheth Munala selected four players who participated in the country’s Tokyo campaign to be in the squad for Paris in outside hitters Leonida Kasaya and Lorine Kaei, middle blocker Edith Mukuvilani and libero Agripina Kundu – opposite Sharon Chepchumba appears as a reserve. Outside hitter Veronica Oluoch, who plays in the Greek league, is another important player for Kenya, as well as middle blocker Trizah Atuka, who will be one of the country's flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony.

Women’s Pool B Match Schedule

July 28
13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) – Poland vs. Japan

July 29
13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) – Brazil vs. Kenya

July 31
21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) – Poland vs. Kenya

August 1
13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) – Brazil vs. Japan

August 3
13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) – Japan vs. Kenya

August 4
21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) – Brazil vs. Poland

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