Men's Volleyball FIVB Nations League 2018

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Amazing tournament so far for us!!!

[MHSN 3,632]

I think Italy is the best team in the world right now, they beat two very strong teams this weekend.

 

as for Iran, that was a disastrous weekend losing to Japan   but I think we have to lower our expectations about Iranian volleyball.

[VolleyRuller96 264]

Day 03 
  France 3-0  Australia (25-17 / 25-20 / 36-34)

 

 

 

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Day 03

Italy 3-0  Serbia (25-21 / 25-18 / 25-16)

 

 

 

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Day 03

 

Russia 3-0  South Korea (28-26 / 25-21 / 25-15)

 

 

 

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DAY 03 SUMMARY

 

 BULGARIA 3-1  ARGENTINA

 

 

Ningbo, China, May 27 - Nikolay Uchikov made the evening his own with 26 points and Bulgaria moved to 2-1 overall after dispensing with Argentina 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22) in first-round men's action at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.

 

The towering wing spiker was a human highlight reel with 25 of his tally coming from killer spikes, along with a huge block, as his team rebounded from a sluggish start to proceedings. Fellow wing spiker Valentin Brateov played side kick to the superhero this time around, chipping in with 15 and rallying the Bulgarian forces.

 

It was another disappointing outing for the Argentinians who have labored hard across this first round in China but have little to show for their efforts. Opposite spiker Bruno Lima led the way for the South Americans and was the source of most resistance with 12 points in total.

 

Argentina's coach Julio Velasco had decided beforehand to tinker with his rotation, resting both middle blocker Pablo Crer and wing spiker Ezequiel Palacios for the whole match. The pair had played prominent roles in their team's 3-2 defeat to the USA but were among those who failed to deliver in Saturday's upset 3-0 loss to China.

 

The South Americans were quite obviously also emboldened by the fact they had won four of their last five clashes with Bulgaria - and three of the last three - as they came out well on top in the first set, with wing spiker Lisandro Zanotti impressing early, before finishing the match with 12 points that included five blocks.

 

The past seven times these two teams have met whomever won the first set went on to victory but that was a run that ended on Sunday night as Argentina brushed off the first-set disappointment and turned on the power throughout the rest of the clash.

 

While Uchikov did the lion's share of the work at the net - and reaped the rewards - it was the yellow-haired middle blocker Svetoslav Gotsev who was the team's emotional heart, switching to airplane mode as he wheeled around the court with every point he scored.

 

The world 14th-ranked Bulgarians now head home to the second round in Sofia on 2-1 with only a loss to the second-ranked Americans on their scorecard while seventh-ranked Argentina will want to consign this soiree to the past. They now head home to San Juan 0-3.

 

UNITED STATES 3-0 CHINA 

 

 

Ningbo, China, May 27 - Taylor Sander showcased his all-round skills and the wing spiker's 17 points lead the USA to a 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-18) victory over China and a 3-0 sweep of their first round matches in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. 

 

China worked hard across the first two sets but when the Americans staved off one set point in the second, and then won it thanks to an audacious Sander ace, the visitors switched into overdrive. 

 

Backing Sander's heroics up was opposite spiker Benjamin Patch with 14 points, and wing spiker Torey Defalco's 13 that included four blocks.

 

The world rankings - number two for the USA compared to number 20 for China - had been quickly forgotten as the home side rose to the occasion. They pressured the Americans all through the first set and again in the second.

 

But the USA leaned heavily on their superior experience in the third to break free and breathe easy. It was opposite spiker Chuan Jiang with 15 points who shone brightly for the locals, along with middle blocker Rao Shuhan (seven points.
 

 

Much of China's play - in both opening matches of this first round - had centred around the 23-year-old Chuan whose 23 points against Argentina were almost a third of China's total of 75 in that match while he contributed a team and match-high 17 points in the loss to Bulgaria.

 

Chuan was again a pillar for the Chinese but facing the Americans was always going to prove a different test entirely. The USA don't give much away, not with the pincer-like probing of libero Erik Shoji's serves and their formidable presence at net.

 

The USA now take that 3-0 record (and their 14-3 overall mark against China) into the second round in Goiania, Brazil, from June 1, while China can be happy enough with a record of 1-2, given their world ranking, and will next head to Lodz, Poland, for their next round of matches, beginning on the same day

 

JAPAN 3-1  IRAN 

 

 

Rouen, France, May 27, 2018 - Japan claimed the Asian derby against Iran 3-1 (25-22, 30-28, 23-25, 25-23) thanks a commanding performance by Yuji Nishida in Sunday's men's 2018 Nations League clash.

Nishida was on top form as he guided his team with 21 points, 2 aces and one block on his own. 

To edge out a solid Iranian side, Japan relied on a team performance as Masahiro Yanagida (17 points, including 3 aces), Tatsuya Fukuzawa (11 points), Akihiro Yamauchi (12 points) and Haku Ri (15 points) all managed double digits.

Amir Ghafour, who was Iran's top scorer on 18 points against France on Friday, only managed to score six points against Australia. The opposite spike was on top form for this Asian derby, claiming 22 points (including 4 blocks), almost double the total of Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi (12).

Both teams stood at 1-1 after the opening two days of the competition: a win over Australia and a defeat against France. In this rematch of both the 2014 Asian Games final and the 2015 Asian Championship final, Iran, however, were the favourites, having won five of their last six encounters at world level major competitions with their Asian counterparts.

Iran served first but it was Japan who claimed the first points, racing to an early 6-1 lead. With the wind in their sails, the Japanese strangely broke down and allowed Iran to claw back into the game with four straight unforced errors (12-10). And Iran proved once again they were no pushovers, pouncing on every single mistake as the lethal Ali Shafiei finally found the target (16-16). A last minute rally lifted Japan in the lead that the Ryujin Nippon never let go of as Haku Ri spiked (25-22).

Japan started strong in the second set off the back of the Masahiro Yanagida-Haku Ri duo (9-6). And once the Japanese block sprung into action to preven Iran from clawing back into the game (15-14), there was nothing to prevent 1972 Olympic champs to claim the second set. Especially as Masahiro Yanagida claimed a couple aces and Lee spiked (30-28) in a tense end of the set that saw both teams fight tooth and nails.

It was more of the same in third with Japan gaining an early control and Iran clawing back (5-5). A great kill block performance from Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi helped coach Kolakovic's men leapfrog in front Japan (18-16) but not for long as they seemed rattled enough to let their Asian counterparts jumped out to a 19-18 lead. Another successful blocking streak offered Iran the third set on a silver platter (25-23).

Iran had the momentum and raced in front as Amir Ghafour as instrumental once gain but Nishida, back to doing what he does well, leveled with a powerful spike at 8-8. Japan dug in their heels and, despite a strong performance from the Iranian block, claimed the fourth and final set to level (25-23).
Japan now head to Goaiana (Brazil) for week 2 while Iran are going to San Juan (Argentina), hoping to do better.

 

POLAND 3-1 CANADA 

 

 

 

Krakow, Poland, May 27, 2018 – Young middle blocker Jakub Kochanowski put on a superb all-round performance for Poland in Krakow to help the home team master a 3-1 (25-21, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17) victory over Canada and up their win-loss record to 3-0 in the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.

 

Shining from the serving line, Kochanowski contributed three aces, to which he added four stuff blocks and eight spikes for an overall tally of 15 points, one fewer than the top scorer of the match Damian Schulz.

 

Two more Polish players reached the double digits. Aleksander Sliwka tallied 15 points, while captain Michal Kubiak scored 14 times.

 

Stephen Timothy Maar was the most prolific player on the other side of the net, making 12 points for Canada, all in offence.

 

The fans on the stands once again created a fantastic atmosphere at Tauron Arena. Understanding that their support was essential to the success of the young Polish squad, they never stopped being involved in the match and helped the White-and-Red on the way to their 12th victory in 12 matches against Canada.

 

A couple of great blocks by Graham Vigrass stunned Poland on the way to an early 4-1 Canada lead. During the first technical time-out, when the North Americans still had a two-point lead, the entire Polish crowd on the stands sang together to create a goosebumps moment. Whether this was the reason or not, but after that the Canadians seemed to have lost their concentration and made a series of unforced errors, handing a 14-10 lead to Poland. Despite a mini comeback for Canada, which started with a terrific 120 km/h back-row hit by Nicholas Hoag, the home side managed to retain a four-point advantage through the end, which came at 25-21 with a successful attack by Damian Schulz.

 

The second set was quite level and tense, with occasional break points for one side or the other. The first one came with a blasting ace by Jakub Kochanowski for 3-2. So did the last one for the 26-24 Polish win. In between, the mega rally of the set featured a fantastic save by Michal Kubiak, where he managed to send the ball over the net while he was down on his back, only to have Bradley Robert Gunter put it on the floor for a 15-14 Canada lead. The epilogue of the set was quite impressive on the Polish side. Schulz denied a Canadian set point with a spike and delivered a Polish set point with a block, giving Kochanowski the chance to convert it from the serving line.

 

An ace by Ryan Joseph Sclater tipped an early 5-1 lead for Canada in the third set. With sub-in Nicholas Hoag, delivering a couple of spectacular pipe shots among other things, the North Americans extended it to 10-5. A nicely played 32-second rally finished in the most banal manner – with a net touch – but it was another point to Canada for 11-5. Setter Tyler Sanders was doing his magic to keep Poland at bay until Vigrass closed the set at 25-21 with a monster block.

 

It was again Sclater who extended an early Canada lead in the fourth set to 4-1 with a 103.2 km/h spike, but this time the Poles reacted in time. With the help of aces by Sliwka and Kubiak, they reversed it to a 9-7 advantage. A couple of kill blocks by Kubiak led to 16-11 at the technical time-out, extended to 18-13 with two power shots from Kochanowski. An interesting moment was seen on replay – after a joust, the ball went to the antenna off the hands of both players, stirring excitement in the hall. The ref’s call in favour of Canada put them on a mini comeback break, which narrowed the gap to 18-16, but the rest of the set was all about Poland. Kochanowski aced for 23-16 to shape-up a five-point series. Moments later, Schulz followed suit from the serving line to close the match at 25-17.

 

Next weekend Poland will stay at home, entertaining China, France and Germany in Lodz, while Canada will travel to San Juan to face Iran, Italy and hosts Argentina.

 

BRAZIL 3-0  GERMANY

 

Kraljevo, Serbia, May 27, 2018 - Wallace De Souza led the way as Brazil responded strongly to their set-back on Saturday by seeing off Germany 3-0 (26-24 25-23 26-24) and getting their VNL campaign back on track. 

 

The defeat to Italy in Serbia ended a four match winning streak but the Olympic gold medallists showed their class with opposite spiker De Souza impressing by scoring 16 points and putting on a performance to send the confidence flooding back into the ranks ahead of week 3. 

 

Isac Santos (10 points) and Eder Carbonera (five blocks and five points) were also star performers in a much improved display from the men in yellow.

 

Germany had their moments with Christian Fromm (17 points) Moritz Reichert (11 points) and Simon Hirsch (12 points) refusing to give in but this defeat means it’s three in a row now for the Europeans who need to regroup ahead of a meeting with China in Poland next week.

 

Brazil meanwhile return home to Goiania and face Korea knowing they will need to match this kind of intensity and quality if they are to reach the finals in France.

 

Although Germany outspiked Brazil 42-37, the South Americans were very strong at the net (10-6) but with a total of 24 errors, improvements have to be made. 

 

Brazil’s style and warmth was well received in Serbia , especially when a big spike from wing spiker Luiz Felipe smashed his opponent in the face. 

 

To his credit, the Brazil star immediately rushed to the other side of the net to make sure no damage had been done. 

 

It was that type of afternoon for the Germans who were very competitive in all the sets - the first especially considering they held a 23-22 lead - yet just weren’t able to produce the finishing touches when it really mattered.

 

“My boys played a great game, “ said coach Andrea Giani. “But we missed too many chances. It is always the same way. We didn’t use our opportunities in the crunch time which is important to beat an opponent like Brazil.”

 

FRANCE 3-0  AUSTRALIA

 

 

Rouen, France, May 27, 2018 - Stephen Boyer stole the light when France claimed their third straight win as they swept past Australia 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 36-34) in Sunday's week 1 action at the 2018 Nations League in Rouen.

The outside hitter from Chaumont VB was the sta of the match, claiming 18 points, including two blocks.

There also were impressive contributions from Kevin Tillie (11 points) and Earvin Ngapeth (8 points) as the French, who were excellent at the net earning 8 blocks to just 5 from their opponents, cruised past the Volleyroos in front of a partisan crowd.

Lincoln Alexander Williams was once again the most prolific player on the other side of the net, making 10 points for Australia.

France headed into the game hoping to make it three from three as they faced a team they have dominated in four of their last five encounters and haven't lost to since 2014. Australia lost to both Iran 3-0 and to Japan 3-1 in week 1 and were looking to end on a massive surprise before heading to Bulgaria.

Benjamin Toniutti started the first set with two aces to put Les Bleus on the right path while Earvin Ngapeth spiked twice to give France a strong 5-0 lead. Australia finally got on the board as the French blocked a Jordan Richards spike... But it just wasn't enough for the Volleyroos who were picked apart by a side showing plenty of agility and guile in attack to increase the lead to 11-2. In cruise control, the French enjoyed a commanding position as Australia, despite Thomas Hodges, never seemed to be able to come back into the game (17-8). The Aussies did put a string of points in the business end of the set but it was too little too late (25-17).

In the beginning of the second set, Australia set out to show they were no pushovers and rushed into the lead (4-6). But the home side hit back superbly as Ngapeth turned on the style (16-12). With the wind in their sails, Les Bleus scored four straight points with any kind of reaction from Australia except from Peacock who served into the net to make it 2-0 (25-20).

Les Bleus continued their dominating performance at the net as Jonas Aguenier claimed a monster block to increase France's lead to three points (9-6). A last ditch effort kept Australia's hopes of an upset alive as Tillie misfired (14-16). But Thibault Rossard spiked and Aguenier blocked again as the French staged a revival of their own (21-19). And it was Boyer who wrapped it up for France, despite squandering nine match points (36-34).

 

RUSSIA 3-0  SOUTH KOREA  

 

 

Krakow, Poland, May 27, 2018 – Dmitriy Muserskiy was late to get into routine in Russia’s FIVB Volleyball Nations League game against Korea, but when he did, the victory was inevitable. He registered five stuff blocks on the way to a 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-15) win.

 

Muserskiy was the second best scorer on the Russian squad, as he added one ace and six spikes for an overall tally of 12 points, one fewer than Egor Kliuka and one more than Konstantin Bakun.

 

The Russians did better than their opponents on all counts, but most solidly in blocking – 12 stuffs against only three.

 

Korea’s Jae-Duck Seo made a tremendous performance, especially in the first two sets, and despite the tall blockers on the other side of the net, managed to score 13 spikes, to which he added a couple of aces for the top scorer honours with 15 points.

 

The first two sets were very competitive, with Korea fighting bravely and Russia emerging victorious in the conclusive moments. The third was quite one-sided with coach Sergei Shliapnikov’s team totally dominating on the court for a landslide win. 

 

Three points in a row by Ilia Vlasov (two thunder shots and a monster block) gave Russia a 7-4 lead in the first set. A few high-flying spikes by Jae-Duck Seo were garnished with an ace by Korea’s opposite spiker to level the score at 9-9 and set off an even fight for every point all the way through the overtime. With Russia dominating in blocking, but Korea way better in attack, the set went long and finally finished at 28-26 Russia’s way with an opponent error.

 

It was a Korean party on the court, when the Asian squad managed to score their first two stuff blocks of the match, courtesy of Jae-Hwi Kim and Kyumin Kim, to cancel an early Russian lead in the second set. The same two players made some lightning shots through the middle, and with Seo scoring prolifically from position 2, it was all real for Korea through 12-12. Two successful spikes, followed by two aces in a row, all by Egor Kliuka, gave Russia a comfortable 17-13 lead. The Koreans kept the battle on, but never managed to catch up again. Muserskiy aced to bring his team to set point at 24-20, before Kliuka put the ball on the floor for a 25-21 win.

 

In the third set, Korea survived through 4-4. The first break point of the set came from a Konstantin Bakun ace, which was the first of a string of seven serves from Russia’s opposite. At 10-4, the European side now had a comfortable lead, which they continued to extend, cruising to a 25-15 win, shaped up by Vlasov with a hammer nail through the middle for the last point.

 

Next weekend Russia will travel to Sofia to play against Australia, Serbia and hosts Bulgaria, while Korea will make the trip to Goiania to join the company of Japan, USA and home side Brazil.

 

ITALY 3-0  SERBIA
 

 

Kraljevo, Serbia, May 27, 2018 - Ivan Zaytsev was the hero once again as Italy brilliantly ended their Serbia hoodoo and maintained a 100% VNL record with a thumping straight sets win (25-21 25-18 25-16). 

 

Wing spiker Zaytsev racked up an incredible, tournament high 32 points against Brazil on Saturday and he was back in the swing against Serbia, scoring 17 points (including three aces) as the Italians beat their Balkan rivals for the first time since 2015. 

 

Fellow wing spiker Osmany Juantorena (12 points) was another hero for Gianlorenzo Blengini’s men. 

 

This win means on-song Italy have now won three from three in this inaugural VNL campaign while extending their unbeaten record to an impressive seven games. 

 

It's the first time they have maintain such a streak since September 2015 and now head into second week matches in Argentina against Canada and Iran with great confidence. 

 

For Serbia, however, this crushing loss on home turf compounded a difficult start to the tournament - Saturday’s win over Germany was preceded by a straight-sets loss against Brazil on Friday.

Only Marko Ivovic (seven spikes) and Alexsandar Atanasijevic (seven spikes and one block) emerged with any credit. 

 

With matches in Sofia against hosts Bulgaria and a strong Russian side, it promises to be another testing set of matches for Serbia. 

 

While the first set was tight, the second saw Italy run away comprehensively and drain the confidence out of the Serbs who simply found Zaytsev’s spiking too hot to handle. 

 

His serving also caused problems - he reached speeds of 134 kph - and although the error count was high with the Italians producing 23 to Serbia’s 24, the quality of Blengini’s side was there for all to see. 

 

On this evidence, the Italians are looking good for a seriously deep run and will be pushing for glory over the next few weeks.

[VolleyRuller96 264]

PRELIMINARY ROUND STANDINGS
after 3 played matches

System:
1. FRANCE is automaticaly qualified as final 6 Host.
2. TOP 5 TEAMS after the preliminary round qualify for the final round.
3. If France is among the top 5 teams , THE 6-th RANKED TEAM also qualifies.

4. The 12 CORE TEAMS can not be relegated.

4. The WEAKEST PLACED  CHALLENGER team may be relegated from the competition if they lose the relegation playoff against the FIVB Challenger Cup (to be  played at a later date) winner.

Tie-Break Criteria:

1.Matches Won/Lost Ratio (MW/ML)
2. Points Achieved (3 PTS = 3:0 or 3:1 win ; 2 PTS = 3:2 win ; 1PTS = 2:3 defeat ; 0PTS = 0:3 or 1:3 defeat)
3. Set Ratio.

 

 

	Nation	MW	ML	PTS	SET
1.		3	0	9	9:1
2.	QUALIFIED	3	0	9	9:2
3.		3	0	8	9:3
4.		3	0	8	9:3
5.		2	1	7	8:3
6.		2	1	6	6:3
7.		2	1	6	7:5
8.	CHALLENGER	2	1	5	7:6
9.		1	2	4	5:6
10.		1	2	3	5:6
11.	CHALLENGER	1	2	3	4:6
12		1	2	3	3:7
13		0	3	0	3:6
14		0	3	0	2:9
15	CHALLENGER	0	3	0	1:9
16	CHALLENGER	0	3	0	0:9

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MEN'S Week 2, day 1 SCHEDULE (1 JUNE 2018)

all times are CEST

 

16:00  Australia -  Russia

16:00 Poland -  France

17:15  Japan - United States
19:00  Bulgaria - Serbia
19:00  China -  Germany
20:05 Brazil -  South Korea
23:10  Canada -  Italy

02:10  Argentina -  Iran

 

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First set against France for Poland  25-19 after a great display

 

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Day 04

 

 Poland 3-0  France (25-19 / 25-20 / 25-22)