World no. 16 Czechia will advance to VNL 2025 after closing out world no. 15 Puerto Rico in the Finals of the 2024 FIVB Women's Volleyball Challenger Cup.
Czechia will officially be back in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 after defeating Puerto Rico in four sets, 25-23, 25-20, 18-25, 25-18, in the Finals of the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Sunday, July 7.
Coming into the gold medal match, this was Czechia’s second Challenger Cup final in the competition's history, the first one coming in 2019 when they to Canada.
But this time around, the Czechs made sure to complete their impressive run in the tournament, securing their return to the Volleyball Nations League stage.
After taking the first and second sets, Czechia seemingly left the door open for Puerto Rico in the third, as the world no. 15 convincingly took the frame.
A tight battle then ensued in the early parts of the fourth set, but after leading 12-10, Czechia went on a 5-1 run powered by Gabriela Orvosova and Michaela Mlejnkova to create much-needed separation.
18-year-old opposite Grace Mar Lopez Villanueva tried all she could for the Puerto Ricans, but Czechia’s immense blocking prowess proved to be the difference.
Orvosova and Mlejnkova put the finishing touches on the match behind their emphatic attacks, which the Puerto Ricans could not contain.
Czechia finished with 16 blocks, as compared to eight from Puerto Rico.
Four Czechs finished in double-digits, with Orvosova leading the way with 25 points on 23 attacks and two blocks. Mlejnkova contributed 18, while Helena Havelkova and Magdalena Jehlarova added 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
Lopez paced Puerto Rico with 23 points. Paola Nicole Santiago Cabrera finished with 18, and Stephanie Rivera had 12.