Red-hot USA women beat Poland in five to take sole possession of VNL lead

What a victory.

The USA women took over sole possession of first place in the Volleyball Nations League on Wednesday with a a 17-25, 25-15, 27-25, 28-30, 16-14 victory over Poland in Suwon, Korea.

It left the USA a game up in the standings at 8-1, while Poland dropped to 7-2, tied with Germany. There were some surprising results over the first two days of the second round that has seven teams trailing the USA within a game of each other.

The veteran outside hitter Kelsey Robinson Cook, the Olympian making her 2023 VNL debut, had 17 kills and three blocks to go with 10 digs. She hit .370.

Opposite Annie Drews had 18 kills, a block and an ace and had seven digs. The other opposite, Jordan Thompson, had five kills. Middle Dana Rettke had 10 kills — three in the fifth set — three blocks and five digs. 

Outside Ali Frantti had 12 kills and 10 digs and middle Haleigh Washington had five kills, five blocks, four digs and an ace.

Setter Micha Hancock had four kills, a block and two aces to go with five digs.

Libero Justine Wong-Orantes had 23 digs.

“We took it point by point and we were really patient,” Cook told VolleyballMag.com’s Emily Ehman, the Volleyball World TV analyst. “There were a lot of great ball touches. Our blockers did an amazing job and allowed our defense to play. And when we had the swing we took it.”

The stats were as close as the scores. The USA had 73 kills and Poland 72, Poland had a 14-13 blocks advantage, each team had four aces and the Americans had 98 digs and Poland 96.

Ehman said it was a “great” match. The Americans were down 7-3 in the fifth set, tied it at 10, and took their first lead, 15-14, on a kill by Rettke of an overpass. The won it on a kill by Cook after a dig by Hancock and an out-of-system set by Frantti.

“After a shaky start for the USA that Poland dominated both defensively and from the service line, the USA started to settle in to their rhythm and knock Poland out of theirs.” Ehman told us.

“Ali Frantti and Annie Drews also provided a great spark that the team seemed to lack during set one. Robinson looked like she hadn’t skipped a beat and absolutely took control in the fifth, racking up five points in just that set alone.”

The Americans continue to live on the edge.

In the first round, three of their fours wins were in five. In the second round, their only loss of the tournament was in five to Japan. 

“Four five-set wins during this VNL campaign against some of the top teams shows that despite who’s on the court during any given game, this team can really fight,” Ehman said. Poland’s Magdalena Stysiak had 24 kills, hitting .360, and had three blocks and an ace to go with seven digs. Agnieszka Korneluk had 13 kills, five blocks and an ace and Martyna Lukasik had 13 kills and three blocks. Maria Stenzel had 18 digs.

Thursday, the USA plays Bulgaria (2-7) while Poland plays another tough match when it faces Germany (7-2), which is actually Friday in Korea.

Also Thursday, Poland plays Germany in Suwon, followed by USA vs. Bulgaria and the Dominican Republic vs. Korea. In Bangkok, Brazil plays Canada and Thailand plays Türkiye. 

Also Wednesday:

Serbia (4-5) beat China (6-3) in four as Tijana Boskovic went off for 24 kills an added 10 digs an ace.

Japan (6-3) went five to beat Türkiye (6-3). Sarina Nishida led with 22 kills, a block and two aces. Mayu Ishikawa had 16 kills, two blocks, 13 digs and an ace, and Miyu Nagaoka had 10 kills, a block, 10 digs and an ace. Satomi Fukudome had 22 digs. Türkiye’s Ebrar Karakurt had 17 kills and two blocks and Gizem Orge had 22 digs.

Later Wednesday, Brazil (6-2) played Italy (5-3).

The third round began Tuesday with four matches. 

In Korea, Germany beat the Dominican Republic in four behind 17 kills from Len Stigrot and 16 from Hanna Orthmann, and Bulgaria beat Korea in four behind 15 kills and three aces from Maria Yordanova and 16 kills from Radostina Marinova.

In Thailand, Canada swept Croatia as Alexa Gray, the former BYU star, continued to be an offensive force, this time with 17 kills and three blocks. And the Netherlands swept Thailand as Jolien Knollema had 12 kills, two blocks and an ace.

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