The Netherlands did a huge favor to Bulgaria in the battle for survival in the Women's Volleyball Nations League. The 'Tulips' gave no chances to France and won emphatically with 3:0(25:22,25:18,25:23) in the first match of the tournament in Belgrade.
After the defeat, the French team remained in last, 18th place in the provisional standings with only one win and 4 points, while Bulgaria is 16th with two wins and 5 points. France will be our national team's third opponent in the Serbian capital in a match that could prove crucial for survival in the elite.
The Dutch dominated mostly in attack, where they scored 45 points against 35 for their opponent. They also had an advantage in points from opponent errors (18:15). France partially compensated with one more block (10:9), and both teams finished with 3 aces each.
Interestingly, the French team was more stable in reception (69 against 56), but this could not compensate for their significant deficit in attack. The Netherlands also recorded more digs in defense (87:75), which further complicated matters for the French attackers.
Jansen was the top scorer for the winners with 15 points, and Knollema added 11. For France, Ndiaye scored 14 points, and Cazotte finished with 10.
The victory earned the Netherlands 5.57 points for the world ranking, while France lost 5.57 points.

photo:volleyballworld.com