2023 VNL June 13 Pool 4: Serbia First Victory, USA Stays Unbeaten

Week 2 of the 2023 Volleyball Nations League continued in Brasilia, Brazil on June 13th with Pool 4 matches. The first match in Brasilia featured Olympic champion USA and newly-promoted Croatia, with the Americans emerging victorious in a 3-1 (17-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-15) win. Jordan Thompson and Alexandra Frantti both scored 17 points for the USA, who remain unbeaten in their fifth match and retain their position in third place on the standings. Croatia are still searching for their first win of the tournament.

In the second match of the day, Serbia and Japan faced off in a thrilling five-set battle (16-25, 25-20, 16-15, 25-20, 15-10). This was Serbia’s first win of the tournament and their first victory under coach Giovanni Guidetti. Eighteen-year-old outside hitter Aleksandra Uzelac led the charge for Serbia with a match-high 23 points. The victory was hard-fought, with Serbia overcoming a slow start to secure a memorable win.

According to Volleyball World, after the match, Serbian setter Sladjana Mirkovic spoke about the team’s difficult opening week and the significance of their first win. Mirkovic praised Japan’s great defense and acknowledged that the match was physically challenging. However, she also emphasized that the team never gave up and showed their quality and hard work in the end. This win will undoubtedly give the Serbian team a much-needed boost as they look to build momentum in the tournament.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)