See the schedule for the Women’s Volleyball World Cup in the Netherlands | NOW

The Women’s Volleyball World Cup is scheduled for September 23 to October 15. The tournament will take place for the first time in the Netherlands. This is an overview of the event and the possible route that the Avital Selinger team is expecting.

Group stage

As group leaders in Group A, the Netherlands will meet Italy, number six in the world rankings and losing finalists of the World Cup in 2018. The Netherlands are currently world number ten.

On paper, Belgium (13), Puerto Rico (17), Cameroon (20) and Kenya (27) are the least opponents in the group of Dutch volleyball players. The top four countries in each group qualify for the second group stage. The Dutch team plays all its group matches at the GelreDome in Arnhem.

September 23
8 p.m.: the Netherlands – Kenya

September 25
4.00 p.m.: the Netherlands – Cameroon

September 28
8 p.m.: the Netherlands – Porto Rico

September 30
8 p.m.: the Netherlands – Belgium

October 2
4.00 p.m.: the Netherlands – Italy

The volleyball ladies start the World Cup with a match against Kenya in the GelreDome.

Other groups

In Group C, volleyball superpowers United States (reigning Olympic champion) and Serbia (reigning world champion) are tied. In Group B, Turkey, Poland and the Dominican Republic are the big favorites for a place in the second group stage. In the last group, the main Asian countries, China and Japan, are placed under the leader of the group, Brazil. It is also striking that three South American countries play in Group D. The group stage matches are played in the Netherlands and Poland.

Second group stage and knockout stage

The sixteen countries that advance to the second group stage will be split into two groups of eight. The Dutch volleyball players will play in Rotterdam from October 4-9, should they be allowed to continue. The other eight teams play in Gdansk, Poland. In the second group stage, the top four countries from each group qualify for the knockout stage.

In the knockout stage, there are eight teams that will contest a quarter-final. Two quarter-finals will be played in Omnisport in Apeldoorn. The other two quarter-finals will take place in Gliwice, Poland.

The final stage

For the four remaining title contenders, the World Cup finals kick off on Thursday, October 13 with the semi-finals. The final final will take place on Saturday October 15 in Apeldoorn. The B-final bronze medal will take place at the same venue.

Thursday, October 13: Semi-finals
Saturday October 15: Final

Dutch team selection

• Game dealers: Britt Bongaerts and Laura Dijkema
• Diagonals: Celeste Plak and Elles Dambrink
• Compass/runners: Anne Buijs, Nika Daalderop, Fleur Savelkoel, Marrit Jasper and Jolien Knollema
• Average forwards: Juliet Lohuis, Eline Timmerman and Tessa Polder
• Liberos: Myrthe Schoot and Florien Reesink

Savel Koel, Reesink, Knollema, Dambrink, Timmerman and Daalderop make their World Cup debuts. Daalderop was already in the Dutch squad at the previous World Cup but missed this tournament in 2018 due to a shin injury.

National coach Avital Selinger has chosen six World Cup debutants from the orange selection.