Relegation Battle Heats Up in 2023 VNL on June 27

Week 3 of VNL 2023 kicked off with an exciting match between Germany and Dominican Republic in Suwon, South Korea. Germany secured a 3-1 victory (25-19, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21), but Brayelin Martinez of the Dominican Republic emerged as the top scorer with 21 points.

In another match in South Korea, Bulgaria defeated the home team 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 24-26, 25-15), earning their second win of the tournament. Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Canada secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory (25-21, 25-21, 28-26) against Croatia. This win saw Bulgaria surpass Croatia in the leaderboard with 2 wins and 8 points, leaving Croatia in the relegation zone as the last placed challenger team with 2 wins and 6 points after both teams played 9 matches.

Bulgarian player Mira Todorova, as reported by Volleyball World, expressed the importance of their win against Korea after the match, stating that it was a crucial game in determining whether they would stay in the VNL. She was pleased with their victory and highlighted their fighting spirit as a key factor in their success.

In the last match of the day, Netherlands took on Thailand in front of the Bangkok home fans. The Dutch team put up a dominant performance, winning the match 3-0 (28-26, 25-18, 25-20) and improving their record to 3 wins in 9 matches. According to Volleyball World, Dutch player Knollema acknowledged the challenge of playing against Thailand in front of their home crowd, but emphasized that their preparedness, defense, and patience were crucial in winning the game.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)