Brazil and Germany Win in VNL 2023 Pool 4, Thaisa Returns for Brazil

Pool 4 of the 2023 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) continued on June 14 in pool 4, with Germany defeating Thailand 3-1 (25-20, 25-13, 19-25, 25-23) and Brazil beating South Korea in straight sets (31-29, 25-16, 25-16) in front of their home fans in Brasilia.

In the first match of the day, Germany continued their strong form, securing their fourth win in five matches in the tournament by defeating Thailand in a four-set game. The match saw some impressive performances, with Germany’s middle blocker Camilla Weitzel and Thailand’s middle blocker Thatdao Nuekjang both scoring 17 points for their teams. According to Volleyball World, after the match, Germany’s setter Pia Kästner attributed their success to their tall middles, who gave them an advantage in their 3-0 win against South Korea in the VNL 2023. Kästner acknowledged that they struggled with passing in the third set due to Thailand’s strong serving and combination plays, but they fought through it and got a good start to the week, boosting their confidence for future matches. Thailand’s record in the tournament is now 2 wins and 3 losses.

In the second match of the day, Brazil defeated South Korea in their first match of the tournament in front of their home fans. The match was notable for the return of Brazilian player Thaisa to the national team for the first time since the 2018 FIVB World Championship. Thaisa, who had focused on her club career in recent years, scored 11 points for the home team. According to Volleyball World, after the match, Thaisa expressed her excitement at helping her team win, saying that the match felt like her debut. She was grateful for the opportunity to play again and reconnect with her teammates. Brazil’s victory takes their record in the tournament to 4 wins and 1 loss.

Meanwhile, South Korea is still searching for their first set win in the tournament, having lost all five of their matches so far. The team will be looking to turn their fortunes around in their upcoming matches.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)