ARLINGTON, Texas — Issues ramp up right here Saturday and Sunday for the USA ladies’s volleyball group in Volleyball Nations League.
After sweeping Bulgaria on Friday to enhance to 4-2 and transfer as much as sixth place within the 16-team subject, the Individuals go back-to-back towards two of the higher groups on the earth.
At 4:30 p.m. Central Saturday they play first-place Poland (7-0, 21-1 in units) after which end this second spherical Sunday towards fifth-place Türkiye (4-2).
“We’re actually excited for an opportunity at Poland,” USA coach Karch Kiraly mentioned. “One of many final occasions we performed them was right here (in 2023). We (later) performed them within the Olympic qualifier, however we had a very gnarly match, 17-15 within the fifth, for the bronze medal within the VNL finals right here on this similar flooring.
“I’m actually excited to play them. They’ve been enjoying actually good volleyball. They’ve barely misplaced a set and are undefeated and will probably be a pleasant take a look at for each groups.”
Veteran outdoors Jordan Larson, who didn’t play Friday however will nearly actually be within the lineup this weekend, is prepared.
“Big. It’s going to be nice. Clearly each groups are nice and will probably be nice competitors,” Larson mentioned. “Good preparation for the matches coming this summer time.”
The USA beat Bulgaria 25-17, 25-22, 25-22 as outdoors Avery Skinner led with 17 kills, hitting .352, and two blocks.
Three former Penn State gamers had been within the lineup. Outdoors Ali Frantti had eight kills and two blocks, center Haleigh Washington had 9 kills with one error in 13 swings and an ace, and setter Micha Hancock had two kills, three blocks, two aces and 10 digs, and her group hit .291.
Washington was enjoying in her first 2024 VNL match.
“Simply been gearing up. We had a late season. My professional group (in Italy) did actually, very well so I arrived (in Anaheim) slightly later, so we had been slowly attempting to ramp me up,” Washington mentioned. “So I missed the primary week but it surely’s nice to be again for week two and it was a enjoyable first sport.
“Lot of miniscule errors, quite a lot of technical issues that I’m actually attempting to improve and work on, however I feel it’s good while you come and don’t play the right match. You must really feel the nerves and the jitters and make the little errors. I’m glad and I really feel like I’m proper the place I should be.”
Libero Morgan Hentz had 11 digs, and Khalia Lanier had 10. However there was far more to Lanier’s outing than that. Lanier had 10 kills, hit .300, all whereas enjoying reverse as she additionally made her 2024 VNL debut.
Lanier, an excellent school outdoors at USC, goes with the move. The opposite reverse right here is Jordan Thompson, and the opposite USA reverse, Annie Drews — Thompson and Drews shared the place on the Tokyo Olympics — has but to play on this VNL.
“I’m comfortable to get a possibility wherever it’s,” Lanier mentioned. “Originally I feel I began with like two errors (she had a complete of 4 in 20 assaults), so I positively needed to work out some kinks. However it feels good to be on the courtroom it doesn’t matter what place and put on the USA jersey.
“So I’m simply comfortable and grateful that I’m on the market and attempt to assist the group as finest as I can.”
That wasn’t misplaced on Kiraly.
“Khalia did a very nice job able she doesn’t play that a lot of,” Kiraly mentioned. “That’s a credit score her. Ending out the second sport, credit score to Micah for having some confidence in Khalia to get that kill to finish the second — and the third — so a number of good things taking place.”
His group trailed 12-9 in each of the final two units.
“I like that we fell down in every of the second and third video games and needed to determine some stuff out and it wasn’t simply simple,” Kiraly mentioned. “Generally it may be, but it surely’s higher for us to need to wrestle via and work towards some headwinds.”
***
There are three matches Saturday in Macao, China, the place Brazil beat Ialy in 5, Japan beat the Dominican Republic in 4 units and China was to play Thailand.
A 1 p.m. Central right here, Korea performs Türkiye and at 8 p.m. Serbia faces Bulgaria.
***
Earlier within the School Park Middle at UT Arlington, Serbia did what it needed to at key moments to beat Canada 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20. Aleksandra Uzelac led wtih 15 kills, two blocks, 13 digs and two aces, and Katarina Lazovic had 16 kills, 17 digs, a block and an ace.
Kiera Van Ryk continued her torrid VNL tempo with 20 kills and 11 digs. Emily Maglio, who performed at Hawai’i, had 12 kills, 4 blocks and two aces. Setter Brie O’Reilly had 17 digs to go along with a kill and three blocks. Andrea Mitrovic, who performed at Arizona State, had 13 kills, a block and eight digs. Alexa Grey, who performed at BYU, had 10 kills and 16 digs.
Poland swept Germany 25-23, 25-20, 25-21. behind Magdalena Stysiak’s 18 kills and a block. Martina Lukasik and Natalie Medrzyk had 12 kills every.
Germany’s Lena Kindermann had 16 kills, a block and an ace. Learn extra concerning the former Jacksonville State participant right here.
In Macao, China, Sarina Koga continued to glitter, this time with 25 extra kills and 11 digs, as Japan beat China 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-17. Arisa Inoue had 18 kills and Katona Hayashi 13 and 16 digs. Satome Fukodome additionally had 16 digs.
China’s Yingying Li had 20 kills and three aces.
The Netherlands beat the Dominican Republic 25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17 behind 18 kills, a block and two aces from Nova Marring, who additionally had 12 digs. Isabel Pena had 15 kills and a block for the DR.
Thailand needed to regroup to beat France 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 15-7.
