The second week of the Volleyball Nations League 2023 (VNL2023) concluded with a thrilling series of matches in Brazil. USA, Croatia, and Germany emerged victorious on the last day of the competition, held at the Nilson Nelson Stadium in Brasilia, adding another memorable chapter to the tournament.
The US team bounced back from a surprising loss against Japan, demonstrating their resilience by dominating the court against Brazil. The Olympic champions displayed their prowess with a straight 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22) victory over the hosts. Jordan Thompson, Kathryn Plummer, and Khalia Lanier led the American charge with 15, 14, and 12 points respectively, while Brazilian Thaisa Menezes, who made a return to the national team, stood out with a 12 point score.
Meanwhile, Croatia sprung a surprise by overpowering Thailand in a clean sweep of 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-20). Andrea Mihaljevic led the Croatian offensive, scoring 19 points, while her teammates Martina Samadan and Laura Milos also contributed significantly to the victory.
Rounding off the day was Germany’s impressive 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 25-27, 25-12) win over Korea. Hanna Orthmann and Lina Alsmeier were the standout performers for the Germans, with Orthmann scoring 23 points and Alsmeier adding 19 more to the tally.
