Czechia finally snapped its three-match losing skid in style, completing a reverse sweep of the Dominican Republic, 17–25, 24–26, 25–18, 31–29, 15–10, to close Week 2 of the 2026 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, on a winning note on Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The determined European side refused to let a second-set collapse derail its push for victory, as Monika Brancuska picked up where she left off with timely kills, including a spike that ended another long rally to set up match point.
Gabriela Orvosova then took over, drilling in the match-winning attack off a perfect setup from Anna Pragerova after a marathon two-hour-and-22-minute battle.
Brancuska flirted with a 30-point outing, finishing with 28 points on 23 attacks, three blocks, and two service aces, while also making a significant impact on defense with 13 digs.
However, it was Helena Grozer who kept the Czechs alive in the back-and-forth fourth set, scoring most of her 13 points in that frame to force a decider.
“I think we knew from the start that it would be a tough game. It’s the fourth game in five days; it’s really hard to find the energy we need — but also for them, for sure. We started not really that bad, but we’re missing something. So, starting that second set, we were able to find our rhythm,” said match top-scorer Brancuska.
The win lifted the Europeans to a 4–4 record heading into the third and final week of the preliminaries and, more importantly, halted a frustrating losing streak that all came in straight sets.
Czechia will push for a place in the Final Round when it faces Germany next on July 8 at 4:30 p.m. in Belgrade, Serbia.
For the Dominican Republic, five players contributed in the losing effort, with Flormarie Heredia leading the way with 17 points on 15 attacks and two blocks.
Geraldine González, Yonkaira Peña Isabel, and Jineiry Martínez each added 15 points, while Alondra Tapia finished with 14.
The Dominican Republic, which had taken a 2–0 set lead, ultimately absorbed the defeat and dropped to a 1–7 record.
The Caribbeans will try to revive their fading Final Round hopes in a must-win clash against Belgium on the same date at 11 a.m. in Hong Kong, China.
