Women's Volleyball FIVB Nations League 2018

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DAY 03 SUMMARY 

BELGIUM 3-2  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

 

 

Ningbo, China, May 17, 2018 - Belgium teenager Britt Herbots summoned up every ounce of energy she had left to deliver another superb attacking performance and lead her team to a pressure-packed 3-2 (25-16, 18-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-7) victory over the Dominican Republic on the third day of the inaugural women's FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Thursday.

 

 

The 18-year-old Herbots showed no signs of tiring as the epic match ticked past two hours in duration as she racked up a game high 26 points and the Europeans rebounded from their straight-sets loss to China on Wednesday to claim their second win in Pool 2 after beating Korea 3-0 on Tuesday.

 

Wing spiker Celine Van Gestel and opposite spiker Kaja Grobelna each finished with 14 points while Marlies Janssens led the defence with four blocks in her eight points as Belgium withstood a fierce comeback from the never-say-die Dominican Republic, who endured the agony of two successive five-set defeats.

 

Dominican Republic finished the pool with three losses but might have had two wins had fortune gone their way. Outclassed by China, they suffered an exhausting and heart-breaking 3-2 defeat to Korea on Wednesday before coming so close against the fresher Belgians on Thursday.

 

Brayelin Martinez, who racked up 31 points in the loss to Korea, once again spearheaded the Dominican Republic challenge, finishing on 15 points, tied with Jeoselyna Rodriguez Santos, who came on as a substitute after the first set and made a huge impact.

 

The opening set gave few clues of the unfolding drama that was to follow as the Yellow Tigers raced to a 1-0 lead after just 24 minutes.
The Dominican Republic won the second but looked to be tiring after losing the third but defied their aching bodies by winning the fourth set to force a decider.

 

The Caribbeans took the early lead before Herbots stepped in and took control. She made her first successful block of the match to put her team 8-6 in front then followed up with her 23rd spike to put her team in sight of the victory.

 

Belgium travel to Toyota next week for Pool 5 matches against the host-nation Japan as well as the Netherlands and USA while Dominican Republic will head to Ankara to play in Pool 8 alongside hosts Turkey as well as Argentina and Brazil.

 

THAILAND 3-0 ARGENTINA 

 

 

Ekaterinburg, Russia, May 17, 2018 - In a match to decide who would finish the tournament in 3rd place, there was only really one likely outcome. Despite Argentina taking more sets off the top two teams in the pool over the last couple of days, it was Thailand who were in control for the majority of the match. Their setter Pornpun Guedpard distributed the ball with ease, linking particularly well with joint top scorers Pimpichaya Kokram and Ajcharaporn Kongyot, ensuring a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-17, 25-16).



There was a cracking start to the final day of action at the Palace of Sports in Ekaterinburg with Thailand matching the momentum of the Iset river that runs next to the competition hall. They end this part of the competition with one win from their three matches, having previously fallen to the Netherlands and Russia. Thai Coach Danai Sriwacharamaytakul appeared confident throughout and significantly contributed to his team’s victory with his interventions - particularity with their use of the challenge system.
 
Argentina are yet to beat Thailand in world level competition, in fact they are yet to win a set, and in truth they never looked likely this time around either. Getting off to strong starts in their previous two matches by taking the first set, Argentina started with confidence, but other than short bursts they were never really at the same level as Thailand. Meaning they start the 2018 Volleyball Nations League with three straight losses, just as they did at the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Grand Prix, despite the best efforts of their top attacker Antonela Fortuna and their top scorer Julieta Constanza Lazcano.
 
A close start saw the attending crowd on their feet early on when an exciting exchange saw more than half the players on the court make contact with the floor within the same rally. The first set was also dominated by successful challenges to both sides, but with Thailand edging it in all areas their 16-10 lead at the second technical time-out was fully justified. From here, Thailand pinned Elina Rodriguez both at the net and with the serve, and with Argentina missing the few opportunities that they were presented with, Pimpichaya Kokram guided her team to the first set 25-17.
 
Argentina came out fighting and established a slight lead as the teams approached double figures, but as the ball dropped in after being left by Clarisa Sagardia you could sense that the tide started to shift. With the scores level at 14-14, Thailand’s setter Pornpun Guedpard produced a moment of magic when she played a blind overhead one handed shot to turn a moment of pressure into a point for her side. 19-15 saw another mega rally with a dominant Thailand attacking from all positions, with Argentina finding a way to get the ball back until an over pass left them with no options and they fell to the same score as the first set.
 
As with the two previous sets, it was Thailand’s ability to grasp the initiative with the serve that made the difference, enjoying their time on the service line throughout the whole match and outscoring their opponent 7-0 in the ace count. Argentina introduced Velez Sarsfield spiker Sol Piccolo for the third set, and despite playing a third of the time came close to finishing top scorer after making a real difference for her team. In the end it was all smiles for Thailand as they strode to a straight sets win, 25-16 in the final set.

 

SOUTH KOREA 3-0  CHINA 

 

 

Ningbo, China, May 17, 2018 - Yeon Koung Kim and Jaeyeong Lee combined for 32 points as Korea pulled off a stunning 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-13) victory over China on the third night of the inaugural women's FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Thursday.

 

 

The two heavy hitters each finished with 16 points with captain Kim making 13 spikes, two blocks and an ace and Lee racking up 14 kills from 33 swings as the Koreans toppled their great Asian rivals for the first time since 2010.

 

The Koreans showed no sign of weariness despite needing five sets to beat the Dominican Republic 24 hours earlier, with opposite spiker Heejin Kim also playing a prominent role with 10 points in what is the biggest upset so far in the new competition.

 

China, who had won their two previous matches against Dominican Republic and Belgium in straight sets, struggled from the outset in the absence of many of their key senior players, including their inspirational captain Zhu Ting.

 

Xinyue Yuan, 21, was China's top scorer for the second match in a row, with the middle blocker finishing on 12 points. Wing spiker Xiatong Liu was the next best with seven while teenage sensation Yingying Li had just five points, her lowest haul of the tournament.

 

After losing their opening match to Belgium, the Koreans have steadily improved with each match, coming from behind to beat Dominican Republic in a nail-biter on Wednesday before producing a masterful display to topple the number one ranked team in the world and complete Pool 2 with two wins and a loss, the same record as China.

 

Lee laid the foundations for her team's win when she came out on court with all guns blazing, contributing nine points in the opening set, including seven kills that put the error-prone Chinese under immediate pressure at the front and back of the court.

 

Yuan emerged as China's salvation in attack, registering five offensive points, but the hosts gave up six points on errors, a trend that continued throughout the match.

China made a brighter start to the second set as Li and Liu briefly penetrated the Korean blockers but their progress was halted by more mistakes, with another 10 errors in the second set alone.

 

With libero Myungok Yim pulling off a series of spectactular saves, the Koreans got their noses in front then surged away to snatch a 2-0 lead to the shock of the home crowd at the Beilun Sport and Art Centre.

The third set was a repeat of the first two.

 

Kim, who has 60 points from her first three matches in the tournament, began to assert her authority as Korea's blockers succeeded in thwarting China's rattled attack as the end came quickly.

 

China travels to Macau next week to play against Poland, Serbia and Thailand in Pool 7 while Korea returns home to host Germany, Russia and Italy in Pool 6.

 

NETHERLANDS 3-0  RUSSIA

 

 

Ekaterinburg, Russia, May 17, 2018 – As Lonneke Slöetjes continues to watch on, Celeste Plak again showed why she is the starting opposite for the world famous orange side right now.  Plak top scored again, this time with 18 points against Russia, and put in a dominant attacking display from both front and backcourt. The Netherlands dominated in all of the major statistics from the match, with the exception of the ace count (0-8), but in the only one that matters they won 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 27-25).
 
Unfortunately, just as the game got going, it was all over.  The third set was actually dominated for the vast majority by Russia, but they eventually allowed the Dutch side to get back into it.  The away team may have eventually needed 3 match points to take the victory, but it was the rally that brought up the first of these that got everyone talking.  At 23-23 Anne Buijs pulled off one of the defensive saves of the match, if not the tournament, before hitting a powerful line shot with no run up that not only won the point but also floored the setter of Russia.
 
The Netherlands, who have now won at least one set in each of their last 23 international matches, looked composed and ready for this one.    As the previous results have shown they attack from all positions and this match was no different.  With the Dutch libero Kirsten Knip dominating the backcourt, the foundations were there for their team to attack from the off.  Celeste Plak will rightly take most of the headlines, but this was a real team effort.
 
Russia do have a dominant record over the Netherlands, but they have now lost the last three times they have faced them. Kseniia Parubets was their top scorer with 45 points before the match and with another 17 points against the Netherlands her importance to the Russian side is even further enhanced.
 
In what was the best attended match of the week at the Palace of Sports, all were treated to two of the worlds leading teams going toe to toe.  Both have aspirations of going far in the Volleyball Nations League, but it is the Netherlands that will move on to Japan the happier.  Russia next take to the court against Italy in Suwon, Korea.
 
With both teams undefeated in the Volleyball Nations League until now, this match was bound to be close, and so proved to be the case in the opening exchanges.  One player in particular who had her game face on was Yvon Belien, who despite not serving any aces in the first set, applied the pressure from the service line - so it was fitting that the Dutch middle blocker walked to the service line on set point at 24-22.  Her pressing serve was returned with interest by Russia but some amazing diving defence by Celeste Plak set up the Dutch setter Laura Dijkema to spike the winner (yes you read that correctly) and her trademark celebration run around the court followed.  
 
The same trend continued in the second, but one moment that brought all of the home fans to their feet was a point where three diving digs eventually returned the ball over the net only for Russia  to kill block Anne Buijs on an overpass attack.  However, with the Netherlands dominating things in the middle of the net, soon it was set point and a serving error from Russia brought the second set to an end at 25-20.
 
It was now or never for the home side as they attempted to avoid the whitewash on their home court and they started stronger than in any previous set.  Russian setter Tatiana Romanova served and spread the ball well, allowing experienced wing spiker Irina Voronkova to show her power from the service line as well as at the net.  Russia seemed in control at 15-12, but a number of unforced errors brought the Dutch side back into it.  One comical point worthy of a mention involved Nicole Koolhaas playing a winning dig from pretty much under the net.  From here the world number 8 side tightened their grip and captain Maret Balkestein-Grothues guided the Netherlands home for a straight sets win.

 

BRAZIL 3-1 SERBIA

 

 

Barueri, Brazil, May 17, 2018 - Ana Beatriz helped fire a brilliant Brazil comeback as Serbia were eventually ground down and defeated 3-1 (23-25 25-22 25-14 25-21).

 

It was the perfect way for Ze Roberto’s team to end the first week of VNL action, this victory capping a strong response to that shock opening game defeat to Germany by reeling off two successive wins. 

 

Middle blocker Beatriz was the star - scoring eight points and adding eight blocks - but what will have pleased the Brazil coaches the most was how everyone managed to contribute and diffuse a powerful Serbian side. 

 

Amanda finished with 11 points while Tandara (six points), Ade (six points and six blocks) also made excellent and vital contributions. 

 

Serbia , led by the irrepressible Tijana Boskovic and Branicka Mihajlovic, roared out of the blocks and deserved a one set lead but with coach Terzic Zoran shuffling his pack as the match wore on, his second string weren’t able to keep a Brazilian team at bay who will now head to Turkey next week in good spirits. 

 

Brazil may have won the last two Grand Prix tournaments, are two time double Olympic champions and boast a record of 12 wins from the last 14 meetings with the European champions. 

 

The statistics , however, counted for little in Tuesday’s shock defeat to Germany and even though Ze Roberto’s side bounced straight back against Japan, taking on the powerful Serbians would be the acid test. 

 

Boskovic, the star performer in the first match against Japan, was used sparingly in the second match with the Germans in order to keep her firing for the biggest match of Pool Four so far. 

 

Brankica Mihajlovic was also a huge threat to the Brazilians who needed libero Suelen to be on top form. Roberta, the captain, was also needed to lead from the front - and an ace from the very first point was a decent start. 

 

Serbia’s attack however was ruthless and on point. Brazil were defending resolutely yet the scampering around the court to repel Boskovic’s brute force began to take its toll.

 

Ze Roberto’s team needed to fight fire with fire. Tandara was leading the charge while the packed, excitable home crowd were roaring their heroines on, even unleashing a Mexican wave to get everyone pumping. 

 

And it seemed to help Brazil who were sticking close to the Serbians before managing to sneak ahead 14-12. It didn’t last. 

 

Boskovic, just 21 years-old, was being attracted to the ball like a magnet, her spikes breaking the 100kph barrier leaving the startled team in yellow desperately searching for answers. 

 

She finished with just four points but will undoubedtly return next week fresh and ready to make amends.

Terzic Zoran’s team were the most dangerous offensively yet Brazil were refusing to wilt. 

 

Amanda’s introduction helped the home side but Serbia had a set point and fittingly it was Boskovic who smashed home at the first time of asking. 

 

The Brazilians lost their first two games at the Grand Champions Cup last year and it already looked like an uphill struggle if a repeat was to be avoided here. 

 

Midway through the second set, it was fiendishly tight once again. Serbia’s focus began to slip. 

 

The European champions needed to regroup.

A brilliant kill block from Ana gave Brazil an 18-16 lead and really had the 5,000 strong crowd believing. 

 

Mihajlovic was a constant thorn in their side but an epic rally eventually won by the home team saw them move within touching distance of bringing the tie level. 

 

One set point went begging but when Sladjana Mirkovic served long, Serbia had dropped their first set of the tournament and Brazil were alive and kicking. 

 

Tandara’s influence on the game was growing while Ade’s defensive work was crucially important as the twice Olympic champions extended their lead to 17-10 in the third.  

 

Boskovic and Mihajlovic’s were taken out of the fire and it showed as their less experienced colleagues wilted under the pressure allowing Ze Roberto’s side to take the fourth set with ease. 

 

The momentum was with Brazil and although Serbia , who travel to Macau for the next phase of the VNL, emerged from their slumber to make it interesting towards the end, the result was never in doubt. 

 

Brazil were actually outspiked (38-40) and made far more errors (31-18). Yet they grew stronger as the game wore on and produced winners on a more consistent basis to end their home stretch on a real high.

 

JAPAN 3-1  GERMANY

 

 

Barueri, Brazil, May 17, 2018 - Sarina Koga weighed in with 22 points as Japan finally experienced that winning VNL feeling by seeing off a determined Germany 3-1 (25-21 25-23 21-25 25-17) .


The NEC Red Rockets wing spiker was a constant threat for the Japanese who managed to put successive defeats to Serbia and Brazil behind them by sealing their first major world tournament triumph of 2018.


It wasn’t a perfect performance from the Asian champions who were pushed terrifically hard by a German team who refused to buckle under incessant pressure.


There were too many mistakes - especially on serve  - but their defense in particular was excellent with middle blockers Man Okumura ( nine blocks) and Nana Iwasaka ( five blocks ) both impressive.


German hopes were , once again , led by Louisa Lippmann (18 points)  and Maren Fromm (nine points)  and although a comeback looked on the cards when they hauled a set back having gone 2-0, the mountain was too steep to climb.


Nevertheless, both sides will now enjoy four days off - and a fair bit of traveling - before the second phase begins next week safe in the knowledge their performances in Brazil have given their respective coaching teams plenty to work with as the VNL progresses.


Japan were desperate to end the first round of matches with a morale  boosting win . Tough workouts against Brazil and Serbia ensured the Japanese headed into this clash with Germany with scars to bear following a testing few days in Sao Paulo.
Their opponents , however, were in fine fettle. Although that shock win over the hosts was the standout performance of the tournament so far, losing in straight sets to Serbia in their next game handed Felix Koslowski’s side a timely reality check.


It’s been two years since Germany suffered consecutive defeats at a world level major tournament and in a keenly contested opening set, it was the Europeans who managed to maintain the upper hand.


Yet their serve was letting them down with too many errors ensuring a build up of pressure was quickly defused.


And even with Lippmann producing the kind of form which undid Brazil, it was Japan, led by wing spiker Mari Horikawa who managed to steer the Asian champions into a 21-19 lead which was eventually converted into a first set advantage.


Germany needed to refocus or risk the tie drifting away from their grasp. Japan’s attempts to take a commanding two set lead were being undone by mistakes yet with wing spiker Koga proving a powerful force at the net, they remained 16-14 ahead.


The lead exchanged hands multiple times , Lippmann showing her worth once more before being pegged back by Japan .  An inability to hold serve, however, from both teams was costing them dear. 


At 21-21 , it was really was anyone’s game. Koga’s finesse  (the decision to tap over rather than spike with the score at 23-23 was to ultimately prove key ) helped Kumi Nakada’s side move two sets to the good and on the brink of a vital first VNL triumph.


Koslowski’s team , who head to Korea for the next round of games while Japan travel home to Toyota , refused to be overawed by the task in hand and responded strongly in the third.


Lippmann and the tireless Maren Fromm were keeping the Europeans alive and at the halfway mark, Germany had established a 13-10 lead and this time , they were able to keep the pressure on.


With the score at 20-16, some brilliant defense by opposite spiker Lippmann put the Germans on the brink of sealing the first part of what would have been a remarkable comeback.


Japan’s energetic rearguard saved three set points to make it 24-21 but they couldn’t hold out for any longer as Germany edged back in at the end of an enthralling 34 minute set.


The fourth followed suit early on but Japan began to pull away and once a six point lead was established, the game was finally up.

 

 TURKEY 3-0  POLAND 

 

 

Lincoln, United States, May 17, 2018 - Turkey continued its dream start to the Volleyball Nations League as Meliha Ismailoglu stepped up to sink Poland in straight sets (25-21, 25-17, 25-23) and gave her team its third straight win.

Ismailoglu took over the bulk of the attacking duties and crushed home 13 total points as Turkey maintained its unbeaten record to complete a superb trip to Nebraska in the opening series of VNL matches. Seyma Ercan was also a key factor in the win, coming up with nine kills and a pair of timely service winners.

A day after clinching a major upset over the United States in a thrilling encounter at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, Giovanni Guidetti’s squad carried its momentum forwards and has now established itself as a genuine threat in the global competition, despite coming in ranked 12th in the world.

In defeat, Malwina Smarzek continued her impressive form and collected 14 total points, but Poland’s young group was unable to control its error count and saw the match slip away from them.

The Turkish line-up, with a fresh mindset and boundless energy, were not expected to dominate this round but made a strong start on the opening day and never looked back, winning the hearts of the Nebraska crowd in the process. 

If expectations were low before, that is no longer the case. Within moments of the match being clinched Guidetti collected his players around him, and warned them that the pressure will only increase from this point onwards. On the evidence of this week, they are more than equipped to cope with it.

Poland came out strongly in the opening set with Smarzek a tower of power and Natalia Medrzyk continuing to shine. Having taken the USA close before then edging out Italy in a decider, Jacek Nawrocki’s side had every right to feel confident, but, in what would become a theme of the afternoon, committed too many mistakes when it mattered most. 

Ismailoglu and the ever-lively Meryem Boz took charge late in the opener to clinch it by a four-point margin and set Turkey firmly on their way to all three points.

Ercan came into her own after the interval as Poland slipped behind and could not narrow the gap, with Ismailoglu appropriately slamming down the set-winning spike and letting out a yell of delight.

In the third, Poland finally hit top gear as Agnieszka Kakolewska and Smarzek both produced huge blocks and Medrzyk went on a run of serves to open up a 9-5 gap.

Turkey simply chipped away at the deficit though, with Guidetti making smart use of his bench to introduce veteran Kubra Caliskan as a calming influence. So it proved, and when a Caliskan serve hit the net and trickled over the scores were level at 19.

Things were still tied at 22-22 but from then on, Turkey’s power players took over. Ismailoglu blocked Medrzyk to put her team ahead, and after another Polish mistake Ercan rose high to deliver to final block that capped off a magnificent week for the Turks.

 

UNITED STATES 3-0  ITALY 

 

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Lincoln, United States, May 17, 2018 - Jordan Larson guided the United States to a straight sets victory (25-21, 25-18, 25-21) over Italy to put their Volleyball Nations League campaign back on track.

Larson, the team’s inspirational captain, led the way with dominant play and intense leadership, producing seven winners to help the team bounce back from their shock defeat to Turkey a day earlier. 

A home favorite thanks to her successful college career at the University of Nebraska, Larson refused to let up as Italy’s hopes were quickly snuffed out at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Kim Hill produced a polished performance with nine points on offense as the USA ended the VNL’s Nebraska leg on a positive note, having collected seven tournament points from a possible nine.

“Yesterday we difficult for us but we came out strong today,” Larson said. “We have only been together for a couple of days and we have a lot to build on.”

Middle blocker Marina Lubian, 18, and Anastasia Guerra put up a solid fight but were unable to prevent a mostly inexperienced Italian group from slipping to their third straight defeat of the competition. Both Lubian and Guerra powered home eight kills and a service winner apiece.

After the thrills of Wednesday night ultimately ended in disappointment, the home crowd were ready for a bounce back performance from the host nation, and they got one. The comprehensive nature of the result was just what coach Karch Kiraly was looking for and delivered a boost heading into the next round of matches, in which the USA will travel to Japan to take on that nation, plus Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Following the completion of the first phase, the USA now sits in third place overall, behind the Netherlands and Turkey, while Italy is in second-to-last spot on a single point.

Kiraly was calm heading into the match, but made it clear that he expected a greatly improved output and enhanced focus. Within the opening minutes, the USA gave a clear signal of intent when Foluke Akinradewo smashed a spike into the face of Miryam Sylla to set up a 9-5 lead. While the Italian bravely shrugged off her discomfort, the tone of the match was set - the USA meant business. 

Despite Italy’s best efforts, the Americans pressed forwards. A big block from Tetori Dixon teed up set point and the local supporters were soon celebrating a 1-0 advantage.

Another strong start gave the USA the ascendancy in the second, as Larson popped up with crucial interventions whenever Italy got with touching distance. A comical misstep on set point saw Larson swinging at thin air and laughing at the mishap, but Akinradewo finished things off emphatically moments later.

Italy was not content to let this leg of the VNL campaign slip by and raised a final spirited effort in the third. Guerra let fly with some big serving and Camilla Mingardi showed fight to give the visitors a 14-11 lead. It wasn’t enough. 

The relentless nature of the USA game forces an aggressive approach from their opponents, meaning that mistakes inevitably creep in sooner or later. So it proved, a spate of misfires leveling the scores at 14 and from then on, there was no stopping Kiraly’s crew.

Hill showed pinpoint accuracy to go with her natural power as the USA moved ahead, and Dixon crushed a pair of winners to solidify the advantage.

Larson took the USA to verge of victory with a stunning ace, before Michelle Bartsch-Hackley capped off a strong week with the decisive strike.

The USA were always going to be one of the favorites for the competition, coming in a defending world champions, and despite the Turkey setback have staked their claim as a leading contender for the trophy. However, some challenging road trips await.

Italy, meanwhile, are expected to recall several veteran players who were rested for the Nebraska trip, as they head to to Suwon, where they will face host South Korea plus Germany and Russia, in week two.

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PRELIMINARY ROUND STANDINGS
after 3 played matches

System:
1. CHINA is automaticaly qualified as final 6 Host.
2. TOP 5 TEAMS after the preliminary round qualify for the final round.
3. If China is among the top 5 teams , THE 6-th RANKED TEAM also qualifies.

4. The 12 CORE TEAMS can not be relegated.

4. The WEAKEST PLACED  CHALLENGER team may be relegated from the competition if they lose the relegation playoff against the FIVB Challenger Cup (to be  played at a later date) winner.

Tie-Break Criteria:

1.Matches Won/Lost Ratio (MW/ML)
2. Points Achieved (3 PTS = 3:0 or 3:1 win ; 2 PTS = 3:2 win ; 1PTS = 2:3 defeat ; 0PTS = 0:3 or 1:3 defeat)
3. Set Ratio.

 

 

	Nation	MW	ML	PTS	SET
1.		3	0	9	9:1
2.		3	0	8	9:2
3.		2	1	7	8:4
4.		2	1	6	7:3
5.	QUALIFIED	2	1	6	6:3
6.		2	1	6	7:5
7.		2	1	6	7:4
8.		2	1	5	6:5
9.	CHALLENGER	2	1	5	6:5
10.		1	2	3	4:6
11.		1	2	3	4:7
12.		1	2	3	4:7
13	CHALLENGER	1	2	2	4:8
14:	CHALLENGER	0	3	2	4:9
15		0	3	1	2:9
16:	: CHALLENGER	0	3	0	2:9

[CCB 565]

Netherlands on top of the pool, but they already played against the weakest opponents in this competition. Hopefully the Dutch team can improve and will qualify for the Final Six.

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WOMEN'S Week 2, day 1 SCHEDULE (22 MAY 2018)

all times are CEST

 

08:00  Italy  -  Russia

08:40  Belgium -  Netherlands

10:30  Thailand -  Serbia
11:00  South Korea -   Germany

12:10  Japan -  United States

13:00  Argentina -  Dominican Republic

14:00  China - Poland 

16:00  Turkey -  Brazil 

 

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 Puerto Rico has won the Norceca Continental qualification and  Kazakhastan won the Asian qualification towards the FIVB Challenger Cup - a competition that will decide who will play as a Challenger in the next year's Nations League after a home-and-away play-off game against this years' worst Challenger Team

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Day 04

 Russia 3-0  Italy (26-24 / 25-12 / 25-23)

 

 

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Day 04

Netherlands 3-2 Belgium (21-25 / 25-19 / 23-25 / 31-29 / 15-10)  

 

 

 

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day 04

Serbia 3-1 Thailand (25-18 / 25-23 / 19-25 / 25-19)

 

 

 

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Day 04

South Korea 3-1 Germany (23-25 / 26-24 / 25-16 / 25-16)

 

 

 

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Day 04

 United States 3-0 Japan (25-20 / 25-16 / 25-23)