Lausanne, Switzerland, May 21, 2018 - The Netherlands and Turkey, who stormed the opening round of the 2018 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League last week, felling giants and shattering dreams, are back in action this week, as Week 2 of the inaugural edition of the competition takes off with the top 16 teams of the world gathering in four pools across the world.
In fact, Turkey, who shocked the world with their five-set win over reigning world champions and Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallists USA, host a pool at home in Ankara, featuring Argentina, Brazil and the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, who after the opening week are the only team on full points, continue their quest in Toyota against hosts Japan, Belgium and USA.
These are the pools for this week:
• Pool 5 in Toyota: Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, USA.
• Pool 6 in Suwon: Korea, Germany, Italy, Russia.
• Pool 7 in Macau: China, Poland, Serbia, Thailand.
• Pool 8 in Ankara: Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic.
Check out the full schedule of Week 2 here.
And here's what to watch out for this week:
• Can the Netherlands and Turkey extend their winning streaks into Week 2 and remain undefeated?
• Can powerhouses China, Brazil and USA step up to reimburse fans after suffering unlikely defeats in Week 1?
• Poland's Malwina Smarzek scored 65 points in the opening week - but can she hold on to the top position in the best scorers list?
• Will any player join Brayelin Martinez in the 'over 30s club' (after the Dominican Republic's outside hitter scored 31 points last week against Korea).
• Can Germany, Turkey and Korea (or any other underdog) pull off new stunts like they did last week?
• What new surprises do coaches have in store for us regarding lineups?
Quick links: FIVB Volleyball Nations League
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