Japan pulled off the biggest upset of the day, fending off Serbia’s bid to pull off a shock win, 20–25, 26–24, 18–25, 32–30, 15–7, to stay perfect and close the opening day of Week 2 in the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, on Wednesday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Despite being repeatedly denied at the net by Serbia’s block, it was Ishikawa Mayu and the rest of Hinotori Nippon who delivered in the deciding set to preserve their unblemished five-game run this season.
Japan had to survive a near-collapse in the fourth set, where Serbia even had multiple match points, before Shimamura Haruyo and Sato Yoshino came through with crucial attack points to finally end the nearly 40-minute frame and force a decider.
In the fifth set, Japan quickly seized control, building a 7–4 lead behind a Wada Yukiko down-the-line kill, enough cushion to steady their rhythm.
A closing 8–3 run sealed the hard-fought victory in just over two hours, with captain Ishikawa fittingly delivering the final two attacks.
“Today, it was a good comeback. Serbia played a really great match, and we struggled during the match. But after a while, we got it. It was the fifth victory in five matches; it’s good, and we have to continue this rhythm,” said head coach Ferhat Akbaş, who is in his second year with the team.
Serbia nearly took a 2–0 lead after the first two sets, with Hena Kurtagic and Aleksandra Uzelac leading the charge.
Kurtagic scored most of her 15 points from 10 attacks and five blocks across the second and third sets, while Uzelac consistently paced Serbia with 21 points built on 19 kills and two aces.
Kitamado Ayane and Japan, however, refused to back down, with the wing spiker’s service pressure helping spark a crucial 4–0 run that clinched the second set and shifted momentum.
Ishikawa and Wada finished with more than 20 points apiece to lead Japan’s balanced attack, while Sato and Shimamura also reached double figures.
The captain finished with a game-high 23 points on 22 attacks, including the decisive hits in the fifth set, while Wada added 20 spikes and 10 digs.
Japan will aim for a sixth straight win on Friday against Czechia (3–2) at 8 p.m., while Serbia will look to bounce back against reigning champion Italy (4–1) on Thursday at 8 p.m.
