2023 VNL Semifinals Preview: USA vs Türkiye, Poland vs China

After the thrilling quarterfinals on July 12 and 13, four top teams have advanced in VNL 2023. Poland overcame Germany 3-1, the USA triumphed over Japan 3-1, China bested Brazil 3-1, and Türkiye cruised past Italy in straight sets. As per the single elimination format, the USA, the host nation, will clash with five-time semi-finalist Türkiye, while Poland, the preliminary round leader, will compete against Asian powerhouse China. The victors will proceed to the final, vying for the ultimate tournament prize.

Poland (1) vs China (5)

In a 3-1 victory over Germany (25-12, 21-25, 25-21, 26-24), Poland secured a top-four spot in the competition, marking their first such achievement in VNL (and previously World Grand Prix). According to Volleyball World, in a post-match interview, the top scorer of the preliminary round Magdalena Stysiak expressed joy at this milestone, but confidently indicated the team’s potential to excel further.

Meanwhile, China clinched a spot in the semi-finals by defeating Brazil 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23). The team’s confidence was palpable in an interview with Chinese opposite Gong Xiangyu, who anticipated improved performances.

These two teams previously faced off during week 2 pool 3 of the preliminary round in Hong Kong, with Poland ending China’s 6-match winning streak with a 3-0 victory. The upcoming semi-final match will be a crucial test for both sides.

The match is scheduled for July 15 at 16:00 (Local time, UTC-05:00).

USA (2) vs Türkiye (3)

The USA secured their semi-final berth with a 3-1 victory (25-23, 25-21, 18-25, 25-18) over Japan, cheered on by their home crowd. Türkiye, on the other hand, stormed past Italy 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-18), marking their fifth consecutive VNL semi-final appearance and making them the only team to have reached the semi-final in every VNL edition. Ebrar Karakurt, Turkish opposite, expressed pride in her team’s achievement and voiced their ambition to clinch the tournament title with just two matches remaining.

In the preliminary round, the USA defeated Türkiye 3-2 on Türkiye’s home ground during week 1 pool 1. Türkiye will be looking to fight back, although this time they will be facing the USA’s home crowd in Arlington, Texas.

The match is set for July 15 at 19:30 (Local time, UTC-05:00).

(Featured image source: FIVB Volleyball Nations League Hong Kong 2023 presented by China Life (Overseas))

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)