Great teamwork from the Dutch saw off a good Slovak challenge
Izmir, Turkey, June 17, 2016 – Kay Van Dijk and Maarten Van Garderen got an impressive 16 points each as Netherlands beat Slovakia 3-1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-23, 25-22) in their Pool A2 match at the 2016 World League.
Slovakia’s Peter Mlynarcik was the game’s top scorer with 19 points, but Van Dijk and Van Garderen’s combined efforts proved too much for them.
This was the two side’s first meeting in this tournament. Netherlands are competing in the World League for the 20th time; they won gold in 1996.
Slovakia were making their third World League appearance, after 2014 and 2015.
Slovakia took the first set at the Ataturk Volleyball Hall 26-24. As the scoreline suggests, it was a close fought contest, but slightly superior Slovakian accuracy - with Peter Mlynarcik scoring heavily - and a few too many Dutch mistakes proved to be the difference.
But Netherlands hit back emphatically in the second set. Maarten Van Garderen and Jasper Diefenbach hit great form as they swept Slovakia aside 25-11.
The third set was harder fought, but again, with Kay Van Dijk coming into the points and Diefenbach blocking wonderfully, the Netherlands prevailed, 25-23. And they closed out the match in set four, their defensive wall incredibly difficult to breach as they sealed the set 25-22, and the match 3-1.Related information: