Netherlands maintained its position within the Top 8 of the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Nation League with a crucial and hard-fought sweep against Canada, winning 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 25-18 on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Orange Tulips secured their fifth win against four losses, breaking through the challenges posed by France and Serbia. As expected, captain Nimir Abdel-Aziz played a leading role, scoring 24 points with 22 attacks and two service aces.
“This win is very important for our chances of qualifying in the race for the eighth or seventh place. We needed this victory,” said the Dutch captain, emphasizing the urgency of the win for their chances in the Final Round.
“We lost some momentum in the third set, so the key in the fourth set was to regain our energy,” he continued.
In the final set, it was the collective effort of the entire team under the guidance of coach Roberto Piazza that secured the win, with Siebe Korenblek delivering the final blow with a middle kill.
Both teams battled closely in the first set, but the Europeans took a 22-19 lead with a spectacular dig from Twan Wiltenburg that dropped untouched on the other side. With Abdel-Aziz’s finishing touches, they claimed a 1-0 advantage.
Canada made adjustments, with Mathias Elser starting on the outside, and initially took a 14-11 lead in the second set. However, the Netherlands finished the set with a 3-0 run, including a closing kill from Keemink, putting them on the brink of victory.
In the third set, the North Americans turned the tide and surged to a 15-6 lead, forcing the Dutch team to call for a timeout. Luke Herr made important attacking plays to reduce the deficit, and they won the set 25-17, making it 2-1 in favor of the Netherlands.
Gijs Jorna and Maarten van Gardener handled the left side for the Netherlands, contributing 12 and 11 points, respectively. Jorna added two blocks to his 10 spikes, while van Gardener recorded 11 kills.
The Netherlands will aim for a consecutive victory when they face Brazil on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Ryan Sclater led the Canadian team with 18 attacks and two service aces, while captain Nicholas Hoag finished with 11 points.
On the other hand, Canada, now with a 2-7 record, will try to avoid relegation as they face Italy later in the day at 3 p.m.
