I leader della VNL, Polonia e USA, si affrontano nel momento clou di Suwon

A head-to-head clash between first-placed Poland and second-placed United States will highlight the Pool 5 tournament in Suwon, Korea of the third competition week in the women’s Volleyball Nations League 2023. It will be the week’s opening game for both teams as they lock horns on Wednesday at 15:30 local time (06:30 UTC). This is the last competition week of the Preliminary Phase and it will answer all the questions related to who qualifies for the Finals in Arlington, USA and which challenger team will face relegation.

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Poland lead the current standings on a 7-1 win-loss record and 20 points, a point clear of the United States, who are also on 7-1. Later in the week, the Polish team, featuring the tournament’s best blocker so far, Agnieszka Korneluk, and the second best scorer, Magdalena Stysiak, will also meet Germany on Thursday, Bulgaria on Friday and hosts Korea on Sunday without any changes to the squad from the previous week. Meanwhile, the Americans’ schedule includes games against Bulgaria, Germany and China.

While as tournament hosts, USA already have a guaranteed spot at the Finals, Poland need just one more win to mathematically book their tickets to Arlington as well.

In another high-level clash on Wednesday, at 19:00 (10:00), mighty China will take on reigning world champions Serbia. Against Chinese outside hitter Li Yingying, the tournament’s third best scorer so far, and her teammates, coach Giovanni Guidetti will be able to rely on the stellar duo of playmaker Maja Ognjenovic and opposite Tijana Boskovic, who are joining his squad for the first time this season, with the clear intention to help Serbia advance to the Finals.

While China, standing fourth on 6-2 and 18, and with games against Dominican Republic on Friday, Korea on Saturday and USA on Sunday, can be more comfortable about their chances of finishing among the top eight, their southern European opponents, on 3-5 and 10, are currently the first below the cut-off line, in ninth place. In Suwon, Serbia will also meet Germany on Friday, Dominican Republic on Saturday and Balkan neighbours Bulgaria on Sunday.

“We are happy about our tournament in Brazil, where we had three victories and one loss (3-2 against Brazil), but what was important to me besides the results, was to see the team improving,” Guidetti said upon departure for Korea. “There is a very important leg in front of us. We have a small chance to reach the Finals and we want to use it by trying to win all the matches that we can win in Korea and then we’ll see what the other opponents will do.”

Germany are another team with a decent bet for the Finals that will compete in Suwon. On 6-2 and 16, they are placed sixth in the table. With the tournament’s best server so far, Hanna Orthmann, on the squad, they will play in the pool’s opening match against Dominican Republic on Tuesday at 15:30 (06:30), but it is going to get even tougher later in the week, when they also face Poland on Thursday, Serbia on Friday and USA on Saturday. German star Gyorgy Grozer’s 16-year-old daughter Leana will be part of the senior national team for the first time.

“Our biggest goal is to be able to play at this level. We've already shown that we can and now we want to confirm it again,” said Germany’s head coach Vital Heynen. “But not only do we have the most difficult opponents coming up, but in the last week all the teams come in top positions. I hope that we can surprise again...”

While the Dominicans, 11^th on 3-5 and seven, have a shot at the Finals, they should also be cautious about the risk of relegation as another two challenger teams, Croatia and Bulgaria, are not that far behind. In Suwon, the Caribbean Queens will also meet Korea on Thursday, China on Friday and Serbia on Saturday.

La Bulgaria è la squadra più a rischio di retrocessione. Gli europei sono 15esimi in classifica con 1-7 e 5 punti e devono vincere almeno una partita a Suwon per avere una possibilità di sopravvivenza. Faranno del loro meglio per riuscirci già martedì, quando incontreranno la Corea senza vittorie alle 19:00 (10:00). Per i bulgari non sarà certo una partita facile contro i padroni di casa, ma la situazione si farà ancora più difficile con USA, Polonia e Serbia che saranno i prossimi avversari rispettivamente giovedì, venerdì e domenica. Anche i coreani faranno del loro meglio per ottenere la loro prima vittoria contro la Bulgaria. Nelle restanti tre partite, affronteranno la Repubblica Dominicana giovedì, la Cina sabato e la Polonia domenica.

Meanwhile, the other eight VNL 2023 participants will compete in the Pool 6 matches in Bangkok, Thailand.

La Fase Preliminare della VNL prevede tre settimane di gare per genere, con ognuna delle 16 squadre che giocherà un totale di 12 partite. Le otto squadre nazionali meglio classificate nella Fase Preliminare si qualificheranno per le Finali, che si terranno ad Arlington, negli Stati Uniti, dal 12 al 16 luglio, con il paese ospitante che avrà già un posto garantito.

**Volleyball Nations League 2023: full schedule and results**

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