In the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2023 matches held in Pool 6 in the Philippines, Brazil, Italy, and Slovenia emerged as the triumphant teams of the day, edging ever closer to a secure place in the final tournament set to be held in Gdansk.
Brazil dominated the Netherlands with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-20) victory in Pasay City, marking their seventh win in the tournament. Brazilian players Lucão and Honorato, along with the Dutch player Ter Maat, each secured 10 points, while Lucarelli and Alan contributed an impressive nine points each. With this victory, Brazil confidently occupies the third position, amassing 22 points from seven victories and creating an unbridgeable gap from ninth and tenth place contenders, France and Serbia.
Meanwhile, Italy snatched a narrow win against Canada in a game that stretched to a decisive fifth set. Despite the hard-won 3-2 (25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9) victory, Italy’s place in the final tournament is not yet mathematically confirmed. The match’s top performers were Alessandro Michieletto with 18 points for Italy, and Sclater with 22 points for Canada.
Completing the day’s victorious trio, Slovenia claimed a crucial 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 24-26, 26-22) win over China, marking their seventh win in the league. The Slovenian squad, under the guidance of Gheorghe Cretu, overcame a tense situation in the third set to secure their qualification to the final tournament. The Slovenian team saw Klemen Čebulj score 21 points, making him the match’s top performer, while China’s Zhang Jingyin and Yu Yuantai scored 16 and 15 points respectively.
As the dust settles on today’s Pool 6 matches, Brazil, Italy, and Slovenia stand at the doorstep of the VNL 2023 finals in Gdansk, their place practically assured.
