With incredible persistence, Belgium resisted the favorite Poland, but in the end, Stefano Lavarini's team fought for the win and secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Championship. In the next stage, the Poles will face Italy on September 3 (Wednesday).
Dramatic course of the match
The match went through all possible twists. Belgium took a 1:0 lead after a contested first set, but Poland responded and turned it around to 2:1. In the fourth set, Herbots and her teammates brought back the intrigue, and the final outcome was decided only in the tie-break, where the Poles asserted their will.
Final score:3:2 (25-27, 25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 15-10).
Individual performances
Herbots– top scorer with 23 points for Belgium
Lukasik– most effective for Poland with 20 points
Korneluk– impressed with 5 successful blocks
Van Sas– scored 5 aces
Round of 16 results and two new matches
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| August 29 | Netherlands – Serbia | 3-2 (27-25; 26-24; 22-25; 20-25; 15-11) |
| August 29 | Thailand – Japan | 0-3 (20-25; 23-25; 23-25) |
| August 30 | Italy – Germany | 3-0 (25-22; 25-18; 25-11) |
| August 30 | Poland – Belgium | 3-2 (25-27; 25-20; 25-17; 22-25; 15-10) |
| August 31 | Brazil – Dominican Republic | 12:00 (Dazn, VBTV) |
| August 31 | China – France | 15:30 (Dazn, VBTV) |
| September 1 | USA – Canada | 12:00 (Dazn, VBTV) |
| September 1 | Turkey – Slovenia | 15:30 (Dazn, VBTV) |
So far, the most dramatic matches have been those between the Netherlands and Serbia and Poland and Belgium – both ending in five sets. Japan and Italy achieved clean victories, demonstrating serious stability. New intriguing clashes are ahead, especially the derby between Brazil and the Dominican Republic, as well as the China – France match.
