WARSAW, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Poland beat Azerbaijan in straight sets 25-19, 25-19, 25-23 on Friday in Apeldoorn, Netherlands to continue their perfect start of the women's European Olympic qualification with a 3-0 record.
Jacek Nawrocki's team, who had already secured their spot in semifinals after beating Bulgaria and Netherlands, was seen as a strong favorite in the match against Azerbaijan. In the beginning stage Vasiv Talibov's players were a worthy opponent for Poland. However, Magdalena Stysiak led her team to the victory in the first set by scoring seven points.
In the second set Azerbaijan had huge problems with the reception when Marlena Kowalewska was behind the serving line. Yelyzaveta Samdova did her best to score 13 points but it was not enough for the Poles, as the favorite controlled the game to win 3-0.
Martyna Lukasik was Poland's top scorer with 12 points, while Agnieszka Kakolewska added 11.
With the win, Poland topped Pool A with a perfect record. In the semifinals they will play against Turkey, while Germany face the hosts Netherlands. Both matches are scheduled for Saturday. The Poles want to take a revenge on Turkey as Giovanni Guidetti's side beat them in the semifinal of the CEV European Championship in 2019.
For the teams who compete in Apeldoorn, the tournament is the last chance to secure their ticket for Tokyo 2020. In the first round, eight teams played in two pools. Only the winner of the tournament qualify for the Olympic Games.
