Ganja, Azerbaijan, September 23, 2017.  While every game is important, the feeling around Ganja was that today’s matches would go a long way to determining the pool winners to go straight to the QuarterFinals and the team that will finish fourth and depart for home after the pool is finished.  Having both lost on the opening day, Czech Republic vs Belgium mattered for both teams and after a closely fought battle it was Czech Republic who came out on top 3-1. While the winners from the previous day faced off in the evening match where again a full crowd were treated to a real show of Volleyball where the Serbian team won through in the end in straight sets.

Czech Republic vs Belgium 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 28-26, 25-19)

After a close start, with both teams showing some nerves (3-3), it was the Yellow Tigers that gradually took control of this encounter.  Some excellent serving from Lise Van Hecke helped them build on the lead they had at the second technical time-out (16-12).  From here the Czech ladies did all they could, but at the end it was Belgium who took the spoils 25-19.  A special mention should go to the final point, as spectacular defence from both sides treated the 2,000 in attendance to a rally to remember.

The second period start with another close set (10-10) and this continued right into the technical time-out after a narrow miss by the Czech captain Aneta Kocmanova Havlickova.  This continued until 23-23 when a roof block by Barbora Purchartova of Czech Republic on Belgium number 7, Celine Van Gestel gave her team the first set point.  Up stepped Andrea Kossanyiova who served an ace cross court to level the scores at 1-1 (25-23).

The third set started with both teams knowing its importance.  Belgium led by five at both technical timeouts, (8-3, 16-11) but as the set grew on, the Czech Republic came back chipping away at the lead on each service rotation.  The first set points even went to CZE, with Belgian opposite Van Hecke saving them with a pipe attack, but it was the very same shot that in the end cost them the set 28-26 after she made an attack line fault.

Knowing the importance of this victory, seeing the finishing line seemed to only further encourage the Czech side, while the pressure seemed to multiply on Belgium.  The lead grew through the set and many unforced errors that were not present earlier in the match became far too common.  It was 10-5, then soon 14-11, before reaching 20-12, but still the Yellow Tigers fought on.  In the end it was not enough though as they fell 25-19 in the end with a second touch attack winner.

Quotes

Pavla Vincourova from Czech Republic: "Incredible because we beat Belgium for 3 points, so now they have to win against Serbia.  It was a big step for us, we played like a team.  Everybody for everybody and I think that we are all happy."

Freya Aelbrecht, Belgium middle-blocker: "This is a big disappointment.  For us this was the most important game and for this game we worked.  We prepared this game but we were not good enough.  We did not play our game and we had lots of problems.  In the end they were playing without any pressure and everything worked out really well for them."

Gert van de Broek, Belgian Coach: "Congratulations to Czech Republic.  At the crucial moments they played better than us.  They made the crucial points.  I think we controlled the first set as we played very well.  We played good in the second but the team that keeps pressuring all the time and takes the points when it matters is the team that deserves to win."

Serbia vs the Netherlands (3-0, 29-27, 25-17, 25-23)

This match started at a high tempo, possibly as both teams had been made to wait following the long first game between Belgium and the Czech Republic.  The match was close, with the scores level until it reached double figures (10-10), however there were a lot of interruptions with challenges from both teams.  The Dutch women pulled ahead by three to reach the second technical time-out and soon this became 20-17.  From here it became a battle of the opposites, with the Netherlands straining to stay ahead. Once we had gone beyond 25, Serbia missed three serves in a row but a monster block by Stefana Veljkovic on Lonneke Slöetjes led to a set point and middle-blocker Jovana Stevanovic stepped up and served an ace to take the set from the Dutch grasp (29-27).

The second set was something of a Serbian domination, with the Netherlands team possibly struggling to come to terms with the set points that had gone in the 1st set.  From the six-point mark onwards the Serbian team never looked back and took the set 25-17 after a late attempt at a comeback from the Dutch.

The 3rd set started as the 2nd had ended, with both teams trading big blows.  Celeste Plak coming on, her and Brankica Mihajlovic seemed to having a battle between themselves on who could hit the ball harder.  The scores stayed level at 12-12 and then 18-18.  At this point Serbia established a two-point lead and rode this right to the point of match victory (25-23).  The highest point scorer, as with the match the previous day was Serbia`s Tijana Boškovic who is just shy of 50 points in the two matches played so far.

Quotes

Brankica Mihajlovic, Serbian outside hitter: "I am very happy and proud of the team. We had some problems in the first set but we found a way to come back.  I think the first set decided in one way or another the next two sets.  We played against a very good team.  Two years ago they played the final of the European Championship and for us this is an important victory.  I just hope we can continue in this way."

Coach of Serbia, Zoran Terzic: "Of course we are very happy and satisfied as we won against a very strong team.  Practically in the last few months it was the first game that we played really good with a lot of motivation and energy.  Especially because of this I am really very happy.  And of course because of the tactics as we delivered a really good performance and I hope we keep this until the end of this competition."

Lonneke Slöetjes of the Netherlands: "I think they played really well, Serbia did really a good job and I think that if we come up against them later we have a lot of things we can change.  I think we fought even after being 2-0 behind and we still kept the fighting spirit so that was a good feeling in the court, but there are some things in the tactics that we need to change with them - so let's hope we meet them again."

Jamie Morrison, Coach of the Netherlands: "Serbia played a great match.  I thought we came out and played really strong in the first set, really clean Volleyball.  They picked up their game a bit, caught up with us, tied the score and unfortunately we lost that set.  The second set we let down a little bit, the third set we fought and we were two or three points shy of pushing it to four.  I am disappointed but we will learn from the defeat and we will move on and get better for our next match tomorrow night."

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