On the fifth day of the Volleyball Nations League 2023, Pool 5, Serbia, Argentina, and the USA triumphed in their respective matches against Bulgaria, Iran, and France, significantly reshaping the competition’s standings and the forecast for the Final tournament.
Serbia started the day by dominating Bulgaria with a comprehensive 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-22, 25-22). This win advances Serbia’s standings and fuels their pursuit of a place in the Finals. Although they are not yet secured, the USA’s win against France and Slovenia’s victory over the Netherlands in Pool 6, have amplified Serbia’s chances. Serbia’s fortunes now rest on the impending showdown between France and Germany.
Serbia’s top scorer, Drazen Luburic, led the game with 15 points, closely followed by Pavle Peric’s 11 points. From Bulgaria, Asparuh Asparuhov and Denis Karyagin were the leading scorers with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Argentina clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory against Iran (25-19, 28-30, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11), rounding off their undefeated run in Anaheim. Agustin Loser emerged as a star performer for Argentina with 21 points, while Luciano Palonsky contributed an additional 17 points.
In the final match of the day, the USA defeated France 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 27-25), complicating France’s path to the Finals in Poland. This victory places the United States in a position to lead the preliminary stage if Japan loses to Poland. Concurrently, the Olympic champions are in a precarious situation, either narrowly advancing to the top eight or facing an unexpected elimination. The upcoming matches, including the Netherlands versus Slovenia and Germany versus France, will prove critical in determining the quarterfinal line-up of the Finals.
