Wroclaw, Poland, August 4, 2019 – Serbia overpowered Poland in four sets in Wroclaw to claim an Olympic berth from Tokyo Volleyball Qualification Pool A. With both teams winning their first two matches in the qualification tournament, the encounter between the two teams was the decider in the pool.
Serbia - Poland (August 4, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Poland defeated Serbia 3-2 in their previous meeting in a world Olympic qualification tournament, in 2008. Both teams qualified for the Olympic Games in that tournament.
• Serbia (incl. predecessors) won five of their seven major world level matches against Poland (Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Nations League, Grand Champions Cup).
• Poland's two world level victories over Serbia both came in five sets, at the 2007 World Cup and in the 2012 World Grand Prix.
• Serbia defeated Poland in straight sets in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, their most recent world level encounter.
• Serbia (incl. predecessors) and Poland met 11 times in the European championship. Poland won the first eight meetings, Serbia the last three.
Serbia
• Serbia started their qualifying campaign for the 2020 Olympic Games with straight-set wins against both Thailand and Puerto Rico.
• Serbia are hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games for a fourth time in a row, after 2008, 2012 and 2016. Serbia claimed silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, their best result in the competition.
• Tijana Boškovic was top scorer in both of Serbia's matches this weekend, with 28 points against Thailand and 18 against Puerto Rico.
• A total of 10 different players scored at least one point for Serbia against Puerto Rico on Saturday. Boškovic (18) was the only with more than eight.
Poland
• Poland beat Thailand 3-2 on Saturday, after their 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico on Friday.
• Poland could qualify for the Olympic Games for the fourth time, after 1964, 1968 and 2008. They took bronze in both of their first two participations in the Games.
• Malwina Smarzek was the leading points scorer in Poland's matches against Puerto Rico (23) and Thailand (30).
• Natalia Medrzyk (22), Klaudia Alagierska (12) and Martyna Grajber (11) also reached double figures in scoring against Thailand.
Puerto Rico – Thailand (August 4, 2019)
Head-to-Head
• Puerto Rico and Thailand met twice in the last six world Olympic qualifying campaigns (1996-2016), in 2004 and 2008. Thailand won both matches in straight sets.
• Thailand won five of their six major world level meetings with Puerto Rico (Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Nations League, Grand Champions Cup).
• Thailand won their last four world level matches against Puerto Rico, since a 3-0 defeat in the 2010 World Grand Prix.
• Thailand defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 in the 2013 World Grand Prix, their most recent world level encounter.
Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rico lost both of their two Olympic qualification matches in Wroclaw, 3-0 against Poland and 3-0 against Serbia.
• Puerto Rico failed to win a single set at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, their only participation at the Games so far.
• Puerto Rico scored 50 points against Serbia on Saturday, with Stephanie Enright leading on seven points.
• Paulina Prieto Cerame is Puerto Rico's top scorer after their first two Olympic qualifying matches, with 16 total points.
Thailand
• After their 3-0 defeat against Serbia on Friday, Thailand lost 3-2 to Poland on Saturday.
• Thailand scored 110 points against Poland on Saturday. Poland scored 113.
• Onuma Sittirak scored a team-high 30 points for Thailand against Poland. All of those 30 points came from attacks.
• Chatchu-On Moksri (22) and Pleumjit Thinkaow (18) also reached double figures in scoring against Poland.