The Best Women Volleyball Players in 2025: Top 5

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15 Jul 2025 14:31

Women’s volleyball in 2025 is more exciting than it has ever been. Followers of the sport get to see jaw-dropping rallies, gravity-defying spikes, and teamwork that turns matches into unforgettable events.

This year, there have been a number of women who have risen above the rest. Here, we’ll introduce you to five of them changing the game. These athletes are re-writing the requirements for being the greatest, and we’re enjoying every moment of it.

1. Adenízia Silva (Brazil) – Middle‑Blocker – 429.50 Points

Adenízia Ferreira da Silva is Brazil’s top middle‑blocker. She sits atop the Volleybox 2025 world rankings with 429.50 points. She was born on December 18, 1986, in Ibiaí, Minas Gerais, and started playing at 11 years old. She joined the Osasco youth academy at 13 years old. Adenízia has great athleticism paired with years of success at the international level.

The peak of her career includes the bronze medal at the 2005 Pan‑American Cup (where she was named “Best Blocker”) and gold with Sollys/Osasco in the 2009-2010 Brazilian Superliga and 2010 South American Club Championship. She was a key contributor to Brazil’s gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.

She also shone in Doha’s Club World Championships (bronze in 2011, gold in 2012), collecting Best Blocker awards. In recent seasons, she claimed MVP and Best Blocker titles in the 2024-25 South American Club Championship, Brazilian Superliga, and Superliga Brasileira.

Now playing for Dentil/Praia Clube, she remains a cornerstone player in Brazil’s top domestic league. She averages over 11 blocks and 20 attack points in both national and international competition.

2. Jordan Thompson (USA) – Opposite – 417.00 Points

Number two is Jordan Thompson with 417 points on the Volleybox 2025 rankings. Thompson’s college career at Cincinnati was decorated. She had NCAA rally‑scoring records, two‑time conference player of the year honors, and First Team All‑American honors in 2018.

Thompson joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2019 and helped win a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. Although picking up an injury in the tournament, she won gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Her club career spans top European leagues. She has played for Fenerbahçe, Eczacıbaşı, Vero Volley Milano, VakıfBank S.K., and most recently in the U.S.’s League One Volleyball (LOVB). There, she was named MVP and Opposite Attacker of the Year and was given the highest scorer award.

Very confident, she once said: “One thing that I always repeat to myself during our national anthem is that I have greatness inside me. It’s sort of just this mantra for myself and on those moments when I do get nervous and when it feels big, I just lean on that. I have greatness inside of me, I have a lot of training and I have my teammates. That’s something that I carry with me.”

With a strong presence at the net (6 + kills per set on average) and accolades in both collegiate and professional ranks, Thompson’s ranking is well-deserved.

3. Gabriela “Gabi” Guimarães (Brazil) – Outside Hitter – 400.00 Points

Gabi, born May 19, 1994, ranks third with 400 points. She has a 317 cm spike and 309 cm block. An energetic outside hitter, she came up through Brazil’s Rexona Ades Rio before moving to Minas Tênis Clube in 2018, and then VakıfBank Istanbul until 2024.

Her trophy cabinet includes the 2018 Minas state championship, 2018-19 Brazilian Superliga, and multiple South American Club Championships: all topped with Best Outside Spiker laurels.

Internationally, she’s a double Olympic medalist (silver at Tokyo 2020, bronze at Paris 2024), and was named Best Outside Spiker of the 2024 Olympics, in addition to silver at the 2022 and 2024 VNL.

At the club world level, she captured a Club World Championship gold and CEV Champions League title. Typically one of the top scorers and reception leaders in high-level competition, Gabi demonstrates top-level all-around performance.

4. Natália Zílio Pereira (Brazil) – Outside Hitter – 362.50 Points

Natália Zílio Pereira, born on April 4, 1989, is at number four with 362.50 points. The 315 cm spike reach player is a former Olympic gold medalist (London 2012). She played for Fenerbahçe, Eczacıbaşı, Dinamo Moscow, and Scandicci.

She led CEV competitions with 339 winning spikes, 50 kill blocks, 22 aces, and 411 points in her career. She earned numerous MVP and Best Outside Spiker awards individually: 2016 and 2017 FIVB World Grand Prix, and 2017 South American Championship MVP.

She continues her success at Scandicci and in European competitions with high performance in kills, reception (48–56% positive), and match wins.

5. Isabelle Haak (Sweden) – Opposite – 335 Points

Isabelle Haak rounds out the top five with around 335 points. Haak was born in 1999 and has a 335 cm spike reach. She has been MVP and leading scorer at a number of European and global events: Club World Championship MVP (2021, 2022, 2024), CEV Champions League MVP (2023-24), Italian Cup MVP, and Turkish League MVP.

In the 2024-25 CEV Champions League, Haak led scoring with 108 points in just seven matches (5.68 points per set). Most recently, she was Finals MVP at the 2025 Istanbul Final Four and led the EuroLeagueW in scoring (226 points in eight matches).

Why 2025 Is a Big Year

Women’s volleyball is experiencing a surge in popularity around the world. Record attendance, large media contracts, and expanding professional leagues are fueling the expansion. Here, we discuss some of the reasons for the positive turn of events.

The Volleyball Nations League Gets Bigger

The 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League expanded to 18 teams this year. The bigger tournament equals more nations participating. The format of the tournament provides more games for the fans. Television networks are taking note of the attendance numbers.

America Gets Its Own Pro League

The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) televised its first-ever women’s pro volleyball match broadcast on CBS. It averaged nearly 5,000 fans per game last season. The league has seen sell-outs and an All-Star Game that garnered national TV attention.

It mirrors what’s happening in women’s college volleyball. In December, ABC drew 1.3 million viewers. That ranked as the second-most-watched women’s college volleyball championship in history.

What This Growth Really Means

Higher attendance
Larger broadcast deals and sponsorships
Healthier leagues
Grassroots strength for the future
Better prospects for professional player development

Betting on Volleyball and Other Sports: Choosing the Perfect Platform

As the popularity of volleyball increases, supporters want to find new means of interacting with the game. One of the ways they do this is via sports betting. Before you can bet on the sport, you must first choose a sportsbook, sign up for an account, and fund it.

However, like with many other things, betting payment is changing globally. As iGaming expert Evelyn Balyton noted, the mode of making online payments have changed significantly over the years and this has impacted online betting transactions too. For instance, in countries like the Philippines, new payment options like GCash are leading the new wave and many bookmakers now feature them because of the benefits they bring on board.

Everywhere you look, sportsbooks with these new payment channels are springing up. If you need help in choosing the perfect betting site with GCash in Philippines, consider reading reviews and guides from experts. This will help you choose a reliable platform to wager on volleyball and other sports.

Wrapping Up

Volleyball in 2025 has shown us what is possible when talent and passion are combined. These five ladies have set the standard higher, but the great thing about sport is that there are always new stars on the horizon.

Young players around the world are watching these athletes and dreaming of their own success. The sport continues to grow, attracting new fans and players every year.

As Madisen Skinner confirms: “I’m still not used to it, but it’s so nice to know that we’re inspiring girls and giving them confidence to chase their dreams…”

The article was provided by Evelyn Balyton

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