Serbia celebrate coach Nikola Grbic first World League victory
Lausanne, Switzerland, June 6, 2015 – Finland and Serbia finally picked-up their first wins in the 2015 edition of the FIVB Volleyball World League on Friday, when they edged opponents Portugal and Italy, respectively.
Brazil, USA and Poland are still unbeaten Group 1, while Canada took a straight-set victory to recover from their 3-2 setback last week in Pool C.
Key Points
• Finland have now earned their first victory in the 2015 World League after suffering four consecutive losses.
• Olli-Pekka Ojansivu’s trip to the service line rewarded Finland with four service aces, which was more than the entire service ace output of Portugal.
• Brazil are on top of Pool A so far, earning eight points on their three victories.
• USA and Poland are playing with 3-0 win-loss records and are in first and second place in Pool B, respectively.
• Bartosz Kurek’s scoring game intensified as he scored 30 points in their match against Iran, helping Poland to stay on the winning track in this edition.
• After Italy’s successful stints in Adelaide last weekend, the Italians were stunned by the Serbians, who in turn earned their first victory in the 2015 World League.
• Canada are on top of Pool C with four victories and one loss.
• Canada suffered their lone defeat last week in the hands of the Bulgarian team, which claimed another victory on Friday against Cuba.
In Pool A, Brazil continued their dominance over their opponents with a 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18) victory over Australia in their first World league encounter. Brazil showed top level skills and experience over Australia, but the latter showed resilience as they stole one set from the multi-titled Brazilians.
Serbia finally broke into the win column with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23) triumph Italy. The Serbians were down in the first set but bounced back to outrun the Italians in the succeeding sets. The visiting Serbians proved that they could handle the pressure better than the hosts as they pulled off a fourth set victory that ended with a service error from Italy.
Poland pulled through in a difficult fourth set to win 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 27-25) against last year’s fourth place finishers Iran to keep a clean win-loss record in Pool B. Iran, on the other hand, are still trying to seek their first victory in this edition of the World League. Poland’s Bartosz Kurek dominated in scoring with 30 points from 24 attacks, three block kills and three service aces.
The defending champions asserted its strength over rivals Russia 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-15, 28-26) to continue their winning run in the World League. Murphy Troy struck 14 points and two aces for his total 16-point output, while team-mates Matthew Anderson and Maxwell Holt subsidised 15 points each to lead the United States’ dominant stance. Pavel Moroz charted 14 points for the losing side.
In Pool C, Canada bounced back after their 3-2 loss to Bulgaria on May 31 at Botevgrad, with a 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-19) home victory over Argentina. Gavin Schmitt had another solid performance with 22 markers to top all scorers in the match.
Bulgaria seized another victory in the World League with their 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 26-24, 25-23) win over Cuba in the other Pool C clash. Bulgaria showed control in the first two sets but were challenged in the third set by the hosts, who extended the match to another set. Cuba almost succeeded in the fourth set challenge but Bulgaria had the right weapons in the end game to secure victory.
Meanwhile, Finland claimed their first victory in the 2015 World League in straight sets (25-19, 25-23, 25-22) against Portugal, which remains winless in Pool E. The Finns, who lost four matches in a row to Belgium, came to their senses to produce a convincing winning performance throughout the match over Portugal.
Top scoring performances
• 30 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Iran (June 5)
• 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy (May 30)
• 28 - Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 26 – Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Bulgaria (June 5)
• 26 - Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)
• 26 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 25 - Todor Aleksiev of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 25 - Vladimir Nikolov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 25 - Yuki Ishikawa of Japan v Czech Republic (May 31)
• 25 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 24 - Hugo Gaspar of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 23 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 22 – Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Argentina (June 5)
• 22 - Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 31)
• 22 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 - Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Belgium (May 31)
• 21 - Antonin Rouzier of France v Korea (May 30)
• 21 - Mateusz Mika of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 21 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Urpo Sivula of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Kay van Dijk of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 20 - Vladimir Nikolov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 30)
• 20 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy (May 29)
Top scoring performances by team
• 117 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 115 - Brazil v Serbia (May 29)
• 113 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 112 - Poland v Russia (May 29)
• 109 - Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 108 - Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)
• 108 - Japan v Czech Republic (May 31)
• 108 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 106 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 105 – Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 105 - Russia v Poland (May 29)
• 104 - Serbia v Brazil (May 29)
• 103 - France v Korea (May 30)
• 102 - Belgium v Finland (May 31)
• 102 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
Top blocking performances
• 8 - Konstantin Shumov of Finland v Belgium (May 30)
• 7 - Viktor Yosifov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 6 - Kevin Le Roux of France v Korea (May 31)
• 5 - Travis Passier of Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 5 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 5 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 5 - Cornelius Bontje Johannes of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 4 – Viktor Yosifov of Bulgaria v Cuba (June 5)
• 4 – Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Bulgaria (June 5)
• 4 – Murilo Endres of Brazil v Australia (June 5)
• 4 – Eder Carbonera of Brazil v Australia (June 5)
• 4 - Teodor Todorov of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 4 - Ribeiro Riad Garcia Pires of Brazil v Serbia (May 31)
• 4 - Martin Ramos of Argentina v Cuba (May 30
• 4 - Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 30)
• 4 - John Gordon Perrin of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 4 - Yoshifumi Suzuki of Japan v Czech Republic (May 30)
• 4 - Kevin Le Roux of France v Korea (May 30)
• 4 – Eemi Tervaportti of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 4 – Mateusz Bieniek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
• 4 - Simone Anzani of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 4 - Dragan Travica of Italy v Australia (May 29)
Top blocking performances by team
• 17 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 16 - Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 16 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 15 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 14 - Bulgaria v Cuba (June 5)
• 14 - Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 14 - Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 13 - Belgium v Finland (May 30)
• 13 - Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 12 - USA v Iran (May 31)
• 12 - France v Korea (May 31)
• 12 - Netherlands v Portgual (May 16)
• 11 - Cuba v Bulgaria (June 5)
• 11 - Canada v Argentina (June 5)
• 11 - Poland v Iran (June 5)
• 11 - Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)
• 11 - Finland v Belgium (May 30)
• 11 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 11 – Poland v Russia (May 28)
• 11 – Russia v Poland (May 28)
• 11 - Australia v Italy (May 29)
Top serving performances
• 6 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 5 - Micah Christenson of USA v Iran (May 30)
• 5 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Bulgaria (May 30)
• 5 - Antonin Rouzier of France v Korea (May 30)
• 4 – Todor Skrimov of Bulgaria v Cuba (June 5)
• 4 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Portugal (June 5)
• 4 - Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 4 – Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 3 – Ricardo Calvo Manzano of Cuba v Bulgaria (June 5)
• 3 – Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia v Italy (June 5)
• 3 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Iran (June 5)
• 3 - Micah Christenson of USA v Iran (May 31)
• 3 - Nikolay Penchev of Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 3 - Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Belgium (May 31)
• 3 - Earvin Ngapeth of France v Korea (May 30)
• 3 - Samuel Walker of Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 3 - Oleg Antonov of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 3 - Filippo Lanza of Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 3 - Jeroen Rauwerdink of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 3 – Mateusz Bieniek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
Top serving performances by team
• 12 - France v Korea (May 30)
• 10 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 9 - USA v Iran (May 31)
• 9 - Bulgaria v Canada (May 31)
• 9 - Japan v Czech Republic (May 31)
• 9 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 8 - Australia v Italy (May 29)
• 8 - Italy v Australia (May 29)
• 8 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 7 - Bulgaria v Cuba (June 5)
• 7 - Italy v Serbia (June 5)
• 7 - Finland v Portugal (June 5)
• 7 - USA v Iran (May 30)
• 7 - Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• 7 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 7 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
Highest scorer by round
• Day 1: 17 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 16)
• Day 2: 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• Day 3: 25 - Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• Day 5: 15 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 28)
• Day 6: 23 - Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Russia (May 29)
• Day 7: 28 - Thomas Edgar of Australia v Italy and Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Argentina (May 30)
• Day 8: 26 - Jan Stokr of Czech Republic v Japan (May 31)
• Day 9: 30 – Bartosz Kurek of Poland v Iran (June 5)
Highest set score
• Day 1: Canada v Cuba, 26-24 (May 16)
• Day 2: Canada v Cuba and Portugal v Netherlands, 26-24 (May 17)
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland, 30-28 (May 23)
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland, 31-29 (May 24)
• Day 5: Poland v Russia, 25-20 (May 28)
• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia, 26-28 (May 29)
• Day 7: Korea v France, 30-28 (May 30)
• Day 8: Belgium v Finland, 29-27 (May 31)
• Day 9: USA v Russia, 28-26 (June 5)
Highest scoring matches
• Day 1: Netherlands v Portugal (May 16) (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) - 184
• Day 2: Netherlands v Portugal (May 17) (17-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 25-12) - 208
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland (May 23) (25-20, 30-28, 20-25, 23-25, 15-7) - 218
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland (May 24) (29-31, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) – 225
• Day 5: Poland v Russia (May 28) (25-16, 25-17, 25-20) – 128
• Day 6: Brazil v Serbia (May 29) (24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 15-11) - 219
• Day 7: Argentina v Cuba (May 30) (25-17, 17-25, 21-25, 25-16, 9-15) - 195
• Day 8: Japan v Czech Republic (May 31) (25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 23-25, 11-15) – 216
• Day 9: Serbia v Italy (June 5) (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23) – 193