Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women’s Volleyball Nations League match.
Both teams opened their Women’s Volleyball Nations League campaigns with straight-set defeats. However, while expectations are low for the Czech Republic – who are currently outside the world’s top 15 – the USA face pressure to respond quickly and reassert their credentials as one of the sport’s global forces.
Czech Republic (women)
The Czech Republic endured a predictable 0:3 loss in their opener to Brazil (2nd). Although they attempted to remain competitive, they ultimately trailed by a 17-point margin. The Czechs typically prevail against teams ranked outside the top 15 but have dropped seven straight matches against top-10 opponents, each loss coming by at least two sets. In their previous two encounters with the USA, the Czech Republic lost both matches in straight sets.
USA (women)
Ranked fifth in the world, the USA began their campaign with two straight-set losses, albeit against elite opposition. Their tournament opened with a defeat to the top-ranked Italy, a match that featured a dramatic third set ending 28:30 in a tiebreak. Their second outing was a straight-sets loss to Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. Despite the result, that contest was closely contested between two top-five squads. That won’t be the case against the Czech Republic, with the Americans having won both previous meetings by a margin of at least 12 points.
Czech Republic (women) vs USA (women) Prediction
There is a clear disparity in quality between these teams. The Czech Republic consistently struggle against top-tier opponents, while the USA – Olympic silver medallists and one of the tournament frontrunners – should view this fixture as an opportunity to reset after a slow start.
