Brayelin Martinez delivered a stellar 22-point performance to help the Dominican Republic secure their place in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Thailand. The Caribbean powerhouse swept Mexico in straight sets (25-15, 25-17, 25-20) to maintain their perfect record in Pool F.
The victory propelled the Dominican Republic to the top of the group with six points from two straight-set wins, setting up a crucial clash with China on Wednesday to determine which team will advance as pool winners.
Zhuang Yushan led China to the knockout stage with a resilient performance against Colombia. Despite dropping the second set, the Chinese side recovered impressively to claim a 3-1 victory (25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16). Zhuang tallied 17 points while captain Gong Xiangyu contributed 15 in the win that secured their advancement.
Colombia showed fight through Ana Karina Olaya, who topped all scorers with 21 points, but ultimately couldn't overcome their errors against the disciplined Chinese squad.
Interestingly, both China and the Dominican Republic have clinched the only two available qualification spots from Pool F with identical six-point records, rendering the remaining matches between Colombia and Mexico mere formalities in terms of advancement.
The qualification picture is becoming clearer elsewhere in the tournament as well, with Serbia, Poland, Germany, Türkiye, and Canada all securing their places in the next round according to tournament updates.
Will the Dominican Republic's perfect set record give them the mental edge when they face China for the top spot? Wednesday's showdown should provide plenty of answers.
