Slovakia falls short of Russia in Pool D opener of Girls U18 World Championships

Russia sent a strong message on their opening match at the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U18 World Championship in Durango, Mexico, as the European giants defeated Slovakia in straight sets in the opening match of Pool D at the Auditorio del Pueblo on Monday.

On the second match of the pool, Argentina had a remarkable comeback to down Bulgaria 3-1. Russians and Bulgarians play each other on Tuesday while the Argentineans star in a South American Derby with Brazil, which will make its debut in the tournament.

Russia vs Slovakia 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-22)

Russia’s victory was built upon the team’s impressive blocking performance. The reigning European champions scored 13 points with blocks against just two of the Slovakians. On the other stats, there was a considerable Russian advantage in kills (37-28) and a slight Slovakian superiority in aces (4-3).

Russia’s top performer in the match was middle blocker Natalia Suvorova, who tallied 14 points (eight kills and six blocks). The team also got good production from opposite Oksana Shvydkaia and outside hitter Alina Polova, who produced ten points each. On the Slovakian side, outside hitter Deana Valentova registered ten points.

“The first match of a tournament is always challenging,” reflected Russia’s head coach Alexander Karikov. “The mental side is really important as players need to get in competition rhythm and really get that competitive spirit going. Considering it all, the team did a great job and I’m really satisfied.”

Deana Valentova, outside hitter of Slovakia: “Even though we lost, I think we did a great job. We played with passion and it was a real joy every time we won a point. We helped each other a lot on the third set and that’s why it was our best set in the match. It was a great start for us, but we have strong opponents on our pool and will need to keep playing this way.”

Marek Malicky, head coach of Slovakia: “We played a good game. We were solid defensively against a strong Russian team and played with our hearts. We played hard, but Russia was better in the end of the sets. For the next matches, it’s important that we serve well and avoid mistakes and play smartly against the really tall blocks we’re going to face.”