Dutch fans
An impressive smash of Manon Flier brought the home team up 7:6 in the opening set. The Netherlands, with Lonneke Slöetjes at the net, created a slim margin (13:9) but Ukraine managed to even the score. With Debby Stam-Pilon on service position, the home team scored six points in a row, which brought the squad of Vermeulen a series of set points (24:17). An out served ball of Maryna Marchenko was the closing of the first set.
In the second set, a block of Caroline Wensink brought the teams to the first technical time-out (8:6). Ukraine could not get a grip on the quick play of the home team that did not make any unforced errors (13:9). An ace of Dutch setter Laura Dijkema enlarged the margin to six points (15:9). The time-out and substitutions of Ukraine could not stop the Dutch train. The enthusiastic, orange audience in Apeldoorn saw their team march through towards the end of the second set (22:16). Team captain Debby Stam-Pilon brought the Dutch to a set point that was cashed eagerly by Robin de Kruijf.
With Flier and De Kruijf at the net, the women in Orange managed to create a margin of four points in the beginning of the third act (8:4). Dijkema found her attackers without any problem and the Netherlands also scored their blocking and service points (12:8, 16:11). Ukraine came close towards the end of the set (23:22), but two spikes of one of the Dutch top scorers, Slöetjes, ended the match in style.
