Dominican Republic W vs Serbia W

Serbia's 7–1 response after trailing 20–18 in the second set. Had the Dominican Republic levelled the match at 1–1, the momentum — and the crowd in Pasig — would have shifted decisively. Instead, Serbia demonstrated a composure in crunch time that had been absent in their four prior five-set heartbreakers.

Anja Zubić (Serbia) — 16 points (13 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). The outside hitter was Serbia's go-to option in every tight moment, particularly in the second-set fightback.

Nina Čajić (Serbia) — 13 points, providing reliable support on the opposite pin and scoring the clinching point in set two.

Dominican Republic's blocking unit — managed seven stuffs but could not sustain the defensive intensity across all three sets, particularly after the second-set collapse.

The 60–75 total point scoreline undersells the competitiveness of the middle set, where Dominican Republic held the lead until 20–18. Serbia's attack efficiency — particularly in transition — was the difference; they converted defensive digs into kills at a noticeably higher rate after the first rotation. The straight-set structure (19–25, 23–25, 18–25) reflects a team that won the crucial rallies rather than dominating from start to finish.

Serbia (1–5, 7 points) climbed to 13th in the VNL standings with their first victory of the campaign, after entering the match on a 0–4 run that included four five-set losses. The win keeps their slim hopes of reaching the Finals alive, though they remain six points adrift of the top eight with three preliminary-round matches remaining.

Dominican Republic (0–6, 3 points) stayed anchored at 18th and last, still seeking their first win of the 2026 VNL. They face a quick turnaround before their next fixture.

Next up: Serbia play France on 20 June, while Dominican Republic face Thailand on the same day.

Serbia's breakthrough was overdue. The talent to close out tight sets was always there — the mental edge was missing. Against a Dominican side that ran out of answers after the second set, Serbia demonstrated that once they get over the line in a close set, they have the firepower to finish the job in three.