The fifth day of the third week in Pool 5 of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023 unfolded in Suwon, Korea, with Dominican Republic, China, and USA emerging victorious.
The Dominican Republic continued their impressive performance, achieving a third consecutive win in the initial game of the day. In a nail-biting clash against the reigning world champions Serbia, the Dominican team edged ahead with a hard-fought victory of 3-2 (22-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19, 15-10). The intense five-set match saw Serbian star, Tijana Boskovic, notch the match’s highest score of 31 points. However, the collective efforts of Brayellin Martinez (27 points), Gaila Gonzalez (26 points), and Yonkaira Pena (20 points) steered the Dominican Republic to triumph.
The subsequent game saw China reclaim their winning form after a challenging streak in the VNL 2023. Having secured victories in their first six matches, only to experience four consecutive losses thereafter, China managed to regain their stride with a 3-1 (25-13, 25-21, 21-25, 25-15) win over the hosting team, Korea. This victory ensured China’s place in the Finals. Yuan Xinyue of China and her Korean counterpart, Kim Daeun, each earned top scorer honours with 17 points.
The day wrapped up with the United States ascending to the top of the current VNL 2023 standings, following a successful game against Germany. Despite Germany’s excellent blocking efforts, the American team persevered, securing a 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-22, 25-13) victory. This win was made possible thanks to US players Alexandra Frantti and Jordan Thompson, both contributing a match-high 17 points each. Camilla Weitzel stood out for Germany with 15 points, becoming the most effective player for the losing side.
