No surprises in the women's groups at the World Championship

While Bulgaria was playing its match, in the three parallel groups, the favorites also confirmed their superiority. Dominican Republic, Japan, and Germany recorded categorical 3-0 victories, without allowing their opponents to believe in a comeback. The overall picture shows complete dominance by the pre-tournament favorites.

Dominican Republic - Colombia 3:0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-13)

In Chiang Mai, the Dominican team dominated in all elements. The attack ratio of 47:27 and block of 11:8 clearly outlined their superiority, and the team also scored twice as many points on serve. Brayelin Martínez with 20 points and Gaila González with 17 formed the striking duo, while for Colombia, only Olaya with her 11 points tried to maintain balance. Although Colombia had an advantage in reception (71 successful against 46), this did not change the final result – the Dominicans used every opportunity for a direct attack and were almost flawless in the finishing phase.

Japan - Cameroon 3:0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19)

In Bangkok, the Japanese team won as expected, although statistics showed interesting highlights. Cameroon recorded more blocks – 11 against just 1 for Japan, but this proved insufficient for an even contest. Japan clearly surpassed in attack (49:24) and especially on serve (10:3). The libero and the back row also made a difference – 80 saved balls in defense for the Japanese against 57 for the African team. In attack, Akimoto was the leader with 18 points, and Ishikawa added 11. For Cameroon, Blamday was the top scorer with 11 points, but the team lacked sufficient collective support.

Germany - Kenya 3:0 (25-22, 25-8, 25-20)

In Phuket, Germany achieved an expected victory, albeit with some difficulties in the first and third sets. It is interesting that the attack statistics are almost equal – 37:36 in favor of the Germans. The difference, however, came from blocking (8:2) and most notably from the errors of the Kenyans – 25 against 11. Individually, Adhiambo for Kenya finished with an impressive 19 points, more than any German player, but her team broke down due to their own inaccuracies. For Germany, Alsmeier and Weske recorded 13 points each, being consistent throughout the three sets. In this match, a set with the maximum difference was also registered, which happened in the second part, which ended 'to a little girl'.

In all three matches, the favorites were decisive – Dominican Republic, Japan, and Germany allowed no surprises. Statistics show that even when opponents had local advantages – such as Cameroon in blocking or Kenya in individual scoring – the class and organization of the favorites unequivocally tipped the scales. The tournament at this stage is proceeding according to preliminary expectations, without sensational upsets.

photos:volleyballworld.com