VNL 2022: what happened in last day of Pool 3 @ Sofia….

In the closing of the second week of the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, in Pool 4 in Sofia, Serbia trampled over Australia without lot of problems, with a clear 3-0 (25:17, 25:20, 25:22) win to improve to 4-4 and 11 points in ninth place and leave the rivals bottom of the table on 1-7 and only two points. Serbia’s star Aleksandar Atanasijevic was the top scorer of the match with 15 points.

| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

In second match, Poland reaches biggest winning streak in VNL 2022!
In a duel of the Top 4 (before the match) teams in the standings, they defeated the United States in four sets (25:21, 23:25, 24:26, 22:25), and they are now the runner-up of the VNL 2022 after the second week. In this match, in which the second place before the final week of the preliminary stage was at stake, the world champions needed a lot of strength to overpower a rivals who, just like them, had only one defeat. After losing the opening set, Poland trailed 9-12 in the second and third sets and 1-5 in the fourth set, but emerged victorious in all of them to maintain the longest winning streak of all teams in the competition thus far of six games, having a great 7-1 score and 21 points. USA stand fifth on 6-2 and 17.
Bartosz Kurek, MVP of last year’s VNL edition, was the top scorer among the winners with 23 points, while Jakub Kochanowski made 4 blocks.

| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

In third and last match of the day (and of the Pool 4), Brazil recorded the third win in a row by prevailing over hosts Bulgaria in straight sets (21:25, 19:25, 22:25).
20-year-old Darlan Souza was very good in covering for his injured older brother Alan Souza in the opposite’s position, with 10 points in attack and 53% success rate. This win lifted the defending champions to sixth in the current standings with a 5-3 win-loss record and 15 points while a quite disappointing Bulgaria stayed second from bottom with 1-7 and six points.
Outsides Leal and Atanasov were the most prolific players of the encounter with 12 points each, but while the latter was the only Bulgarian to tap into the double digits, Brazil had another four players do that, Isac and Lucarelli, with with 11 points each, while Darlan and Flavio scored 10 each.

“I think Darlan did that for his brother too. These days were not easy for Alan, but Darlan put in all his energy, young energy that our team needs sometimes, and it was amazing! It was really great to see a young guy play like that against this Bulgarian team in this atmosphere, which isn’t easy. So I am very proud of him and I hope it’s just the beginning of his bright career.” Brazil’s setter and captain Bruno Rezende said after the game.
“It was a beautiful week here in Sofia, with a beautiful crowd and amazing atmosphere,” added. “To finish with a win is always nice. Now we have to celebrate a little bit and rest our minds.”

| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Apart from France, Poland, and the USA, the top eight of the Nations League currently include Italy, Japan, the Netherlands (which played its last match in Week 2 yesterday), Brazil and Iran, who ended their second-week campaign a day before.

🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
France 21
Poland 21
Italy 19
Japan 18
USA 17
Brazil 15
The Netherlands 14
Iran 12
Serbia 11
Slovenia 9
Argentina 8
Germany 7
China 6
Canada 6
Bulgaria 6
Australia 2

FULL PROGRAM

— June 21, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 15:00 (Local Time) Slovenia – The Netherlands 0-3 (17:25, 21:25, 24:26)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Argentina – Japan 1-3 (25:27, 18:25, 25:17, 16:25)

Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬
• 17:00 (Local Time) Australia – Canada 1-3 (25:18, 26:28, 19:25, 22:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20:00 (Local Time) Iran – Bulgaria 0-3 (19:25, 23:25, 24:26)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
__________________

— June 22, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 15:00 (Local Time) China – France 0-3 (0:25, 0:25, 0:25)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Germany – Italy 0-3 (16:25, 21:25, 22:25)

Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬
• 17:00 (Local Time) Brazil – Poland 1-3 (16:25, 25:22, 16:25, 22:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20:00 (Local Time) Serbia – USA 1-3 (24:26, 25:23, 23:25, 20:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

__________________

— June 23, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 11:00 (Local Time) France – The Netherlands 3-0 (25:14, 25:23, 25:13)
• 15:00 (Local Time) China – Germany 3-0 (25:0, 25:0, 25:0)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Argentina – Slovenia 1-3 (20:25, 29:27, 18:25, 19:25)

Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬
• 13:30 (Local Time) Poland – Canada 3-0 (25:16, 25:18, 25:16)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 16:30 (Local Time) Serbia – Brazil 0-3 (18:25, 24:26, 17:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20:00 (Local Time) USA – Iran 0-3 (18:25, 27:29, 25:27)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

__________________

— June 24, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 11:00 (Local Time) Germany – The Netherlands 1-3 (25:22, 29:31, 23:25, 16:25)
• 15:00 (Local Time) Argentina – China 3-1 (25:22, 22:25, 25:22, 25:22)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Japan – Italy 3-2 (25:20, 21:25, 24:26, 25:19, 15:13)

Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬
• 13:30 (Local Time) Serbia – Canada 3-2 (20:25, 19:25, 25:20, 26:24, 15:11)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 16:30 (Local Time) Iran – Brazil 0-3 (28:20, 23:25, 19:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20:00 (Local Time) Australia – Bulgaria 3-2 (21:25, 25:13, 25:22, 20:25, 17:15)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

__________________

— June 25, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 11:00 (Local Time) Argentina – The Netherlands 2-3 (25:22, 23:25, 25:20, 19:25, 13:15)
• 15:00 (Local Time) Japan – France 0-3 (22:25, 25:27, 16:25)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Italy – Slovenia 3-0 (25:19, 25:16, 25:21)

Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬
• 13:30 (Local Time) Canada – Iran 0-3 (21:25, 25:27, 18:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 16:30 (Local Time) Poland – Australia 3-0 (25:17, 25:19, 25:14)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20:00 (Local Time) USA – Bulgaria 3-1 (25:12, 20:25, 26:24, 25:23)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

__________________

— June 26, 2022 —

Pool 3 – Week 2 – Quezon City 🇵🇭
• 11:00 (Local Time) Germany – France 1-3 (16:25, 19:25, 25:19, 21:25)
• 15:00 (Local Time) Japan – Slovenia 3-1 (25:21, 22:25, 25:18, 25:19)
• 19:00 (Local Time) Italy – China 3-0 (25:21, 25:18, 25:19)

👉🏼 Pool 4 – Week 2 – Sofia 🇧🇬

• 13:30 (Local Time) Serbia – Australia 3-0 (25:17, 25:20, 25:22)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH