The Preliminary Round of the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League will turn a corner this week as the women enter the third of their five three-match blocks in Rimini, Italy.
VNL 2021
VNL Week 3 matches to watch
A lot will be at stake for the women when the Preliminary Round crosses the halfway mark
Published 01:30, 06 Jun 2021
After the first 48 matches, the United States and Turkey remain as the only undefeated teams after they emerged victorious in each of their first six matches. The Americans top the standings with 18 points followed by the Turkish with 16.
Another 24 matches involving the 16 teams competing in the VNL are set to take place between Sunday and Tuesday and the results of these meetings will strongly impact the situation of these squads with only two more weeks to be played before the Final Round.
Here are three matches you should watch this week. All matches are streamed live on Volleyball TV.
Who? Japan vs. the Netherlands
When? Sunday, June 6, 10:00 GMT
Why? A meeting between two teams that currently sit in the top five of the standings will always cause important movement and that will certainly be the case when Japan meet the Netherlands. Ranked fourth with 14 points, the Japanese need a win to close the gap with the top three teams and they will need the best from 21-year-old outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa, who is the VNL’s best receiver with 74 passes and Japan’s second-best attacker with 86 kills, and from setter Aki Momii. The Dutch are not far behind with 13 points and have been benefiting from strong individual performances from Britt Bongaerts (first in sets, with 158), Myrthe Schoot (second in digs, with 92) and Eline Timmerman (third in blocks, with 15). And, of course, we never know when coach Avital Selinger might grant us another acrobatic backflip, right?
Who? Turkey vs. Dominican Republic
When? Monday, June 7, 10:00 GMT
Why? Turkey dropped their first points in the opening match of week 2 in their 3-2 victory against Canada, while the Dominican Republic lost to Belgium also in five sets on that same day. Both teams bounced back immediately, though, and took all six points in their next two matches to get to 16 and ten points, respectively. Opposite Ebrar Karakurt is providing Turkey the scoring punch the team need with 95 kills and eight aces, while middle blocker and captain Eda Erdem brings some much-needed experience and leadership. The Dominican growth was directly related to the availability of star opposite Brayelin Martinez, who was injured at the beginning of the tournament, and the improvement of outside hitter Bethania de La Cruz. The two combined for 47 points against Poland. The Dominicans are smiling now and they’re really dangerous when they play with attitude.
Who? China vs. Brazil
When? Tuesday, June 8, 14:00 GMT
Why? The match involving the last two Olympic champions should provide a great end to Week 3 on Tuesday. The Brazilians haven’t forgotten their quarterfinal loss to the Asians at the Rio 2016 Olympics and had a strong second VNL week in which they won their three matches and dropped just one set. Middle blocker Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva has been a wall at the net and ranks second in blocks with 16. Star outside hitter and team captain Natalia Pereira could also reappear after recovering from a finger injury. The Chinese have had their ups and downs in the first part of the tournament with three wins and nine points, but outside hitter Zhang Changning, who was named team captain for the VNL, has been rock-solid with a team-high 65 kills, 15 blocks and six aces.
