It seems that Serbia does not want to give anyone a chance to knock them off the leading spot in the 2022 World Championship. After dominating in the first round, the team continues showing off in the second phase. The game against Poland was quite good and put up a good fight fighting to the end, but it was not enough to beat the dominant Serbian squad. The end score looks quite close: 3-0 (26-24, 25-22, and 25-18).
Group F is firmly dominated by Serbia who now has 6 wins, 0 losses, and 17 points. This is a strong bid for the title. Despite not meeting other real contenders, the Serbian team still looks like it is the best in the tournament.
How the game played out
The squad had several notable performers. With 14 scores, Tijana Boskovic looked like the strongest offensive player on the Serbian side. Her powerful swings and smart ball placement allowed the team to edge multiple essential points. Jovana Stevanovic demonstrated impressive physicality and skill by successfully blocking 4 times and creating a lot of pressure under the net to force errors from enemies. Interestingly enough, the top scorer was on the opposing side. Olivia Rozanski managed to score 17 points on the losing team.
What’s happening in the tournament?
Germany showed up to win their first game against Argentina. It won’t be enough to keep the team going, but getting a victory surely improves morale. Dutch players showed some willpower and overcame a one-set disadvantage, but their efforts should have been applied more intensely several games ago. Now, the team is not a contender for a playoff spot.
Serbia, Italy, and the USA look very strong. Japan rounds up the quartet of top teams. The Nippon squad is one of the best-performing national teams with an ambition to get to the finals. Turkey and Canada are also very close and may upset other teams. China may disrupt any predictions by overperforming in the first round of playoffs. The same can be said about Brazil.
