Thrilling Five-Set Finishes Highlights Jun 28 in VNL 2023

On the second day of week three in the 2023 VNL, three out of four matches culminated in a thrilling five-set finish. The day began with a showdown between the two current leaders, USA and Poland. The USA team emerged victorious, defeating Poland 3-2 (17-25, 25-15, 27-25, 28-30, 16-14) and becoming the first team to achieve eight wins, maintaining their position atop the leaderboard. Despite the loss, Polish opposite Magdalena Stysiak shined as the top scorer of the match, contributing an impressive 28 points for the European side.

In Suwon, Korea, another match saw Serbia triumph over China 3-1 (25-13, 17-25, 25-23, 25-20). Tijana Bošković, playing her first VNL 2023 match, led the scoring with 25 points, helping secure the Serbian victory.

Simultaneously, in Bangkok, Japan bested Türkiye 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 16-25, 15-9), earning their sixth win in nine matches. Japanese outside hitter Sarina Koga topped the scoreboard for this match with 25 points.

In the final match of the day, Brazil overcame Italy in a hard-fought five-setter (26-28, 25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 15-10), securing their seventh victory. Brazilian star player Gabi led the scoring, contributing an impressive 25 points for the South American team. Notably, Italy staged an incredible comeback in the first set; trailing 12:20 and facing a deficit of eight points, they scored nine consecutive points to take the lead at 21:20. Ultimately, Italy clinched the first set 28:26, showcasing their resilience and determination.

(Featured image source: Volleyball World)

(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)