The final day of competition in Suwon for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023 Preliminary Phase kicked off with an intense five-set showdown between Serbia and Bulgaria. The Serbian squad, guided by Sara Lozo’s 17 points, Maja Aleksic’s 15, and Tijana Boskovic’s 14, clinched a close 3-2 victory (20-25, 25-16, 25-14, 17-25, 15-4). Bulgaria’s top performers were Radostina Marinova with a match-high 18 points and Mira Todorova contributing 11 points.
Unfortunately, Serbia’s victory didn’t secure them a spot in the Finals, finishing ninth with a 6-6 win-loss record and 19 points. Meanwhile, Bulgaria narrowly avoided relegation despite the defeat, concluding with a 2-10 record and nine points, just ahead of Croatia.
In the following match, Poland ensured that Korea remained winless, executing a flawless 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-16) shutout. The star of the match was Magdalena Stysiak with 16 points, assisting Poland to finish atop the final Preliminary Phase standings with a 10-2 win-loss record and a total of 29 points.
The final duel of the day saw China and the United States close out their VNL 2023 Preliminary Phase campaigns. Both teams, already guaranteed places in the Arlington Finals, battled fiercely in a back-and-forth match. China twice bounced back from a one-set deficit, ultimately securing a 3-2 (18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8) victory. Li Yingying led the charge for China with an impressive 28 points, while Kathryn Plummer topped the scoreboard for the USA with 22 points.
