WATCH LIVE: China Hosts Netherlands with WGP Semifinal Repercussions

2017 FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX – GROUP 1

• Group 1 Final Six
• August 2nd-6th, 2017
• Nanjing, China
• FIVB World Grand Prix, Group Play of Final Six
• Schedule/Results

Although China is already locked in to a semifinal spot at the 2017 FIVB World Grand Prix, Netherlands has some work cut out for itself after losing yesterday to Brazil. This match will not only effect which team joins China from Pool J1 between Netherlands and Brazil, but it will also determine whether China or Netherlands wins the pool.

China actually finished one spot outside of the top six, as teams ranked second through sixth all posted a 6-3 record. At 5-4, China was technically on the outside-looking-in, but as hosts of the Final Six, they had nothing to fret. In fact, it gave them more incentive to rest captain Zhu Ting over the duration of the early matches. With her in the lineup, China has been a monumentally better team, as they showed in a sweep of Brazil two days ago. That sweep gave them three points (ahead of Brazil’s two), which secures them in the final four.

Netherlands rounded out pool play at 6-3, but have lost three of their last four matches including a five-set loss to Brazil yesterday. That puts Brazil at 1-1 with two points and Netherlands at 0-1 with one point (along with China at 1-0 and three points). Those results mean that any win for the Dutch side, even in five-sets would be good enough for the Netherlands to advance to the semifinals.

If the European side can win this one in three or four sets, they would not only advance but would also win the pool. A five-set Dutch win means that Netherlands and China advance from Pool J1, but China wins the pool. Any win from the hosting Asian side puts defending World Grand Prix champion Brazil into the last quartet of teams.

Watch the full live video below:

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