VNL week 5: Three matches to watch as semifinals approach

The Preliminary Round of the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League comes to an end between Friday and Sunday and with only one of the 16 teams taking part in the tournament already guaranteed a place in the semifinals, there should be some electrifying meetings in the 24 matches scheduled over the next three days in the Italian Adriatic Resort of Rimini.

Back-to-back defending champions the United States are the only team who have secured a place in the top four after they ended week 4 with a perfect 12-0 win record and the maximum 36 points in the standings. The Americans are really close to securing the top spot in the overall ranking heading into the semifinals too.

Seven other teams remain in the mix for the other three spots with Brazil (ten wins), Turkey (nine) and Japan (nine) currently holding an advantage over Russia (eight), the Netherlands (eight), the Dominican Republic (seven) and China (seven).

Several of these teams will play each other in the final week of the Preliminary Round, which should make for some exciting matchups, all of which you can watch live on Volleyball TV. Here are three of them:

Who? Japan vs. Dominican Republic

When? Friday, June 18, 10:00 GMT

Why? This will be a pivotal match for both teams and a victory would mean the world for both as it would also set a direct opponent back. It’s also expected to be one of the most striking clashes of styles in the entire tournament. While the Japanese are well-known for their outstanding technique and quickness, the Dominicans have some of the most athletic, heavy-hitters in the VNL. Japan’s outside hitter Ai Kunogo is on fire, and scored 41 points over three matches in Week 4, but she’ll face VNL’s best defender Brenda Castillo, who dug 192 balls so far. Another interesting duel will reunite the versatile Japanese Mayu Ishikawa and Dominican scoring machine Brayelin Martinez.

Who? USA vs. Russia

When? Saturday, June 19, 10:00 GMT

Why? The USA are already qualified and head coach Karch Kiraly can use week 5 to fine-tune his team for the semifinals. If that’s his plan, there’s probably no better opportunity to do so than against Russia, a traditionally strong team that will have a lot to play for. The Americans have been in the desirable position of heavily rotating their squad during the VNL but still getting fantastic production from virtually every player thanks to the roster’s incredible depth. The Russians have an interesting mix of veterans and youngsters, which is perfectly represented by 32-year-old opposite Nataliya Goncharova, the team’s top scorer with 158 points, and 17-year-old outside hitter Arina Fedorovtseva, with 150 points to her name.

Who? Brazil vs. Turkey

When? Sunday, June 20, 19:00 GMT

Why? The last of 120 women’s Preliminary Round matches in Rimini will reunite two medal contenders in Brazil and Turkey. The South Americans could be safe by then, but for the Turkish, winning or losing might be the difference between making it to the semifinals or not. Brazil could benefit from the presence of team captain and star outside hitter Natalia Pereira in Week 5, which would make them even stronger. Both teams’ opposites, Tandara Caixeta and Ebrar Karakurt, are two of the greatest scoring forces in international volleyball and they should star in a really interesting battle.