On the intense fifth day of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023 tournament held in Brasilia, Brazil, the host nation Brazil exhibited superior gameplay over Germany, Japan clinched a notable victory against the USA, while Serbia triumphed in match against Croatia.
The enthusiastic Brazilian crowd was the perfect backdrop for the first match of the day, where Brazil delivered a 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17) victory over Germany. Rosamaria Montibeller, the leading scorer with 19 points, led Brazil’s attack, closely followed by Maiara Basso with 18. Germany’s resistance was remarkable, with Emilia Weske standing tall by scoring 28 points, the highest in the match.
In what could be regarded as the match of the day, Japan pulled off an upset against the previously undefeated USA team. The clash, held at Nilson Nelson Stadium, saw the two teams battling it out through five dramatic sets. Japan emerged victorious 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 15-6) in a thrilling tie-breaker. Yukiko Wada stole the limelight with a staggering 32 points, backed by Mayu Ishikawa’s 19 points. For the USA, Khalia Lanier and Danielle Cuttino put up a valiant effort, each scoring 18 points.
The final encounter of the day saw a reinvigorated Serbian team overpowering Croatia 3-1 (25-16, 25-11, 23-25, 25-17) in a gruelling 87-minute match. Under the guidance of coach Giovanni Guidetti, Serbia displayed exemplary performance throughout the game, faltering only in the third set when Croatia sparked a mini-revival. But Serbia soon regained control, ending the match on a high. Serbia’s Sara Lozo and Ana Bjelica shined with 26 and 21 points respectively, while Lucija Mlinar led Croatia’s scoring with 11 points, followed by Martina Samadan, Josipa Markovic, and Ema Strunjak.
