Dominican Republic craft an unforgettable 3-2 upset over Poland

Rosario, Argentina, August 23, 2017 - With a sensational performance by Madeline Guillen, the Dominican Republic won a tremendous match against Poland by 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 15-25, 20-25, 16-14) and earned the last of the quarterfinal berths to play for in Rosario.

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Guillen completed a terrific game with 30 points, topping the match stats. Captain Natalia Martinez aided the Dominican cause with 14 of her own. For Poland, Zuzanna Gorecka provided 19 points and spirited captain Oliwia Baluk scored 17, while reserve opposite Rozalia Hnatyszyn followed with 12. 

The Dominican Republic surprised the audience by bagging the first set 25-21, after a Guillen block and a long spike by Poland. However, then the Caribbean girls showed it was no surprise as Martinez led the way and two key blocks ended the second set 25-22. It was now or never for Poland and the Europeans reacted, taking the third set 25-15 after dealing with an ankle injury for starting setter Zaborowska. In the fourth set, Poland won 25-20 pushed forward by Baluk’s unstoppable spirit. In the decisive chapter, Poland built a four-point margin, but Martinez unveiled a solo block for a 13-point tie, saved one European match ball and Dominican star Guillen unleashed two back-row bombs for a 16-14 victory.