For only the third time in VNL’s short but colorful history, one nation put both of its teams in the Finals of the same year.
The 2024 Volleyball Nations League season, especially the VNL final round, has been a global showcase in Japan’s return to power in both men’s and women’s volleyball.
For only the third time in VNL’s short but colorful history, one nation put both of its teams in the Finals of the same year.
Japan in 2024 joins Team USA in 2019 and Brazil in 2021 for the unique honor.
Sarina Koga and the rest of the women’s team set the stage earlier in the month when they stunned then-world no. 1 Brazil in a five-set semifinals, earning their first-ever trip to the VNL Finals.
[Related: Sarina Koga, Japan eliminate world no. 1 Brazil to make first-ever VNL Finals]
Japan ended up losing the gold medal game to Italy, but silver marked the team’s first medal in VNL history.
In men’s play, Ryujin Nippon are peaking at the right time despite dealing with nagging injuries.
The team has ascended to become world no. 2, and a five-game winning streak has them in the VNL Finals also for the first time ever.
[Related: Top-2 seeds fall as Japan and France forge VNL 2024 Men's Finals duel]
Japan’s hot streak started in the Manila Leg of the VNL and continued on in Lódz in the final round where they swept world no. 3 and no. 1 seed Slovenia in the semifinals.
Waiting in the wings are reigning Olympic champion France, who are looking to regain the VNL title they last won in 2022.
[Related: VNL: Tatsunori Otsuka points to Filipino fans for pushing Japan to world no. 2 after strong run in Manila]
In the history of the VNL, the country that puts both teams in the Finals won at least one gold, with Team USA women getting the job done in 2019 and Brazil’s men’s squad winning it all in 2021.
Will Ryujin Nippon be up to task? The 2024 VNL Men’s finale is set for early Monday, July 1 (PHL time).