The Netherlands kept its Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men’s tournament playoff hopes alive following a 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 25-18 win over Canada in Day 2 of the Pasay City leg on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Save for their third-set defeat, the Netherlands was on target in finishing off Canada in only one hour and 37 minutes to strengthen their hold of the coveted No. 8 spot with a 5-4 win-loss record.
The win, behind the heroics of team captain Nimir Abdel-Aziz, was a much-needed boost for the Netherlands, which is in a tight battle with defending champions France for the last playoff seat.
“It’s really important. We know it’s really close in the battle for 7th and 8th place, so we needed this win to keep our hopes of qualifying for the finals,” said Abdel-Aziz, who finished with 24 points on 22 attacks and two aces.
Abdel-Aziz’s outburst included three straight points in the pivotal second set, where the world No. 10 Netherlands dropped a 4-0 finishing kick to snatch a 25-22 win and post a massive 2-0 lead.
Jorna Gjis added 12 points, and Maarten Van Garderen chipped in 11 points, with Wessel Keemink facilitating the Dutch’s fiery offense behind 18 sets.
Ryan Joseph Sclater rifled in 20 points, but world No. 15 Canada still absorbed its seventh loss in nine matches to stay in 14th place in the tournament.
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