2024 VNL May 30: Brazil, Poland Continue Unbeaten Run

The 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) continued on May 30 as teams competed for world ranking points to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics and a spot in the finals in Bangkok.

The first match of the day saw Italy dominate the Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-21). Italian star Paola Egonu continued her strong form, scoring a match-high 20 points to lead the European side. The win improved Italy’s record to 5-1, while the Dominican Republic fell to 2-4.

In the following match, Japan overpowered France 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-15). Japanese captain Koga was the top scorer for Japan, tallying 19 points in the three-set victory. Japan’s win improved their record to 4-2 and also earned them 3.34 important world ranking points to boost their chances of qualifying for Paris 2024 through the world ranking pathway. France’s loss dropped them to 1-5 on the tournament.

The final match of the day in Pool 3 saw Brazil take on the Netherlands. Brazil emerged victorious 3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18), continuing their unbeaten streak in the tournament to 6 matches. The loss was costly for the Netherlands, as it took away 2.64 World Ranking points, further widening the gap between them and Canada, who currently occupies the final Olympic qualification spot through world rankings. A tender moment was captured at the end of the match, as the married couple of Carol (Brazil) and Buijs (Netherlands) shared a loving kiss on the court after facing off against each other.

Moving to Pool 4 in Arlington, the first match saw Poland overpower South Korea 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-10). Polish outside hitter Fedusio led the way with 17 points, helping the European side maintain their unbeaten run and make it 6 wins in a row.

Later, Canada defeated Germany 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-22). This important victory allowed Canada to gain 6.52 crucial World Ranking points. With the Netherlands’ earlier loss, Canada now occupies the final qualification spot for Paris 2024 through the world ranking pathway with a lead of more than 13 points over the next team not yet qualified, the Netherlands.

In the final match of the day, Türkiye defeated their European rivals Serbia 3-1 (25-18, 33-31, 21-25, 25-21). In a tightly contested second set, Serbia led 19-12, but Türkiye quickly closed the gap to 20-19 and eventually won the set 33-31. 2023 VNL MVP Vargas was once again the top scorer, registering an impressive 31 points to help Türkiye secure their fourth victory in six matches. Serbia, on the other hand, fell to a 1-5 record.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)