Poland 3-1 Dominican R, Secure 5th consecutive Victory

In the first match of week 2 of the Volleyball Nations League 2023 preliminary round held in Hong Kong on June 13, Poland faced off against the Dominican Republic. Poland entered the match as the table topper with 4 wins, while the Queen of the Caribbeans was placed 10th with 2 wins, ahead of two other challenger teams (Bulgaria and Croatia).

The first two sets were closely contested, with Poland winning 25-23 and 30-28. In the second set, after the score was tied at 20-20, the Dominican Republic won a point that was challenged by Poland’s coach, Stefano Lavarini, for an antenna touch. Although the challenge was initially unsuccessful, the coach asked the referee to review the decision again, which also went against Poland. Another challenge emerged after the Dominican Republic initially won a point due to a ball being out, but Lavarini spotted a net touch by the opponent player and challenged. The challenge was successful, and Poland won back the crucial point. Poland went on to win their 29th point, but the Dominican Republic challenged a block touch, and the challenge was upheld, making the score 28-28 and keeping them in the set. Poland eventually won two points and won the set 30-28.

Although the Dominican Republic won the third set, Poland secured the victory by winning the fourth set 25-17, maintaining its unbeaten record of five wins and no losses. Magdalena Stysiak, the Polish opposite, was the top scorer of the match, with 28 points.

Our journalist asked Coach Lavarini about his opinion on the referee’s performance, given that he seemed unhappy with the challenge. He stated that he would ask the referee to review again to ensure the decision was correct, but he did not feel qualified to judge the referee’s performance. When asked about the team’s target, he emphasized the importance of this competition and his team’s goal to win every match and every set to improve their world ranking.

Team captain of Poland Agnieszka Korneluk also spoke about the tough game, saying that the Dominican Republic is a strong team.

Poland will face Türkiye in their next match on June 15. Korneluk said that Türkiye is another strong team, and they are expecting another tough match. With a one-day rest, they hope to secure another victory. The Dominican Republic will play against Italy in their next match on June 15.

(Reported by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)