VolleyRuller96

Day 03 United States 3-0 China (25-20 / 26-24 / 25-18)

Day 03 Bulgaria 3-1 Argentina (19-25 / 25-19 / 25-21 / 25-22)

Group Stage, LEG 3 out of 6 Day 2 out of 2 - 27 may 2018 - schedule all times are CEST GOLDEN LEAGUE GROUP A 17:00 Portugal - Ukraine FREE STREAMING OF THE GOLDEN LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-golden-european-league-women

LEG 3 , DAY 1 GROUP A Bulgaria 3-1 Azerbaijan (17-25 / 25- 17 / 25-14 / 25-21) GROUP B Finland 3-1 Hungary (25-19 / 23-25 / 25-16 / 25-19) GROUP B Croatia 3-1 France (25-19 / 25-21 / 18-25 / 27-25) GROUP C Belarus 1-3 Spain (21-25 / 25-11 / 23-25 / 16-25) GROUP C Czech Republic 3-0 Slovakia (25-17 / 25-20 / 25-19) GROUP A Estonia 2-3 Sweden (25-17 / 25-18 / 33-35 / 20-25 / 7-125) GROUP A Switzerland 3-0 Kosovo (25-14 / 25-15 / 25-17) GROUP B Israel 0-3 Albania (18-25 / 16-25 / 14-25 ) GROUP B Georgia 0-3 Austria (17-25 / 14-25 / 14-25)

Group Stage, LEG 3 out of 6 Day 2 out of 2 - 27 may 2018 - schedule all times are CEST GOLDEN LEAGUE GROUP B 20:00 Slovenia - Turkey FREE STREAMING OF THE GOLDEN LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-golden-european-league-men SILVER LEAGUE GROUP A 20:30 Macedonia - Austria FREE STREAMING OF THE SILVER LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-silver-european-league-maenner

DAY 1 LEG 3 GROUP A Belgium 3-2 Slovakia (25-22 / 25-17 / 22-25 / 25-27 / 15-13) GROUP A Estonia 3-1 Sweden (25-22 / 18-25 / 25-23 / 25-17) GROUP B Netherlands 2-3 Ukraine (25-15 / 20-25 / 25-20 / 24-26 / 13-15) GROUP C Finland 2-3 Portugal ( 25-17 / 15-25 / 19-25 / 25-21 / 15-13) GROUP C Czech Republic 3-1 Spain (25-13 / 25-18 / 19-25 / 27-25) GROUP A Latvia 3-0 Kosovo (25-12 / 25-8 / 25-14) GROUP B Croatia 3-0 Albania (25-15 / 25-23 / 25-21) GROUP B Belarus 3-0 Hungary (25-17 / 25-18 / 25-15 )

MEN'S Week 1, day 3 SCHEDULE (27 MAY 2018) all times are CEST 10:00 Bulgaria - Argentina 13:30 China - United States 15:00 Iran - Japan 16:00 Poland - Canada 16:00 Brazil - Germany 18:00 France - Australia 19:00 South Korea - Russia 20:00 Serbia - Italy

PRELIMINARY ROUND STANDINGS after 2 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. 2 0 6 6:0 2. QUALIFIED 2 0 6 6:2 3. 2 0 5 6:3 4. 2 0 5 6:3 5. 1 1 4 5:3 6. 1 1 4 5:3 7. 1 1 3 4:3 8. 1 1 3 4:4 9. 1 1 3 3:3 10. CHALLENGER 1 1 3 3:3 11. 1 1 3 3:4 12. CHALLENGER 1 1 2 4:5 13 0 2 1 2:6 14 0 2 0 2:6 15 CHALLENGER 0 1 0 1:6 16 CHALLENGER 0 1 0 0:6

DAY 02 SUMMARY UNITED STATES 3-1 BULGARIA Ningbo, China, May 26 - Taylor Sander stepped up big with 18 points for the USA as the world's second-ranked team made it 2-0 so far with a 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20) in first-round action at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Saturday. The 26-year-old wing spiker led a fearsome American back-row attack as they picked their opponents apart after a nervy start, with both wing spiker Thomas Jaeschke (16 points) and middle blocker Maxwell Holt (12 points) taking the match away from the Bulgarians. The Balkan outfit had started brightly as they looked to build on their 3-2 win over China the night before. But they were overpowered in the middle sets as the American machine clicked into gear. Best on court for Bulgaria were wing spikers Nikolay Uchikov (15 points) with Todor Skrimov (10 points) playing a fine supporting role. A late rally put pressure of the US towards the death but cooler heads prevailed. So it was the Americans who left the Beilun Sport and Art Centre court with their eyes on a clean sweep of matches in the first round of this inaugural event, and it would be hard to go against them, with only the 20th-ranked Chinese remaining in this first round. The history books make for misleading reading when it comes to previous clashes between the two nations. The Bulgarians led the head-to-heads 14-10 coming into the round of matches in Ningbo, but the Americans had won seven of the past nine meetings. Notch up another one (14-11) for a team who already looks like being a serious threat in the inaugural staging on this event. The trick so far has been the fact the American squad is loaded with talent. While Sander dominated scoring veterans such as the sweet-serving setter Kawika Shoji were also there on Saturday to do the ground work. Already, the USA has shown some resilience, too, Friday's 3-2 win over Argentina came after they were 0-2 down and it was the first time they had won a five-setter at a world level major tournament since they took bronze over Russia at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It hasn't totally clicked for John Speraw's squad but these are still early days in the VNL. CHINA 3-0 ARGENTINA Ningbo, China, May 26 - Chuan Jiang was in irresistible form on Saturday, collecting 23 points in a superb all-round performance as China rolled Argentina 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18) and delighted their fans in first-round action at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. World rankings were thrown out the window as the opposite spiker proved his versatility all over the court in leading the 20th-ranked Chinese over their seventh-ranked rivals. Chuan had a large support crew but special mention needs to go to wing spiker Ji Daoshuai, with his eight points and inspirational play. Argentina had won the first two sets the night before against world number two USA, before falling 3-2, but never really troubled the Chinese on Saturday night - much to the sheer joy sounding out across the stadium by the chanting and cheerful locals. Wing spiker Tomas Lopez (10 points) was the most gallant in a defeat that wasn't expected but maybe should have been, given that China had won all three matches played on home soil in last year's World League. As well as the attack, led superbly by Chuan, the Chinese defence rose to the occasion, with nine blocks overall compared to just one from Argentina. Both teams had lost five-setters on the opening night of first-round action in Ningbo, reflecting again just how close teams are in terms of pure ability at the top of the sport. While the South Americans were ahead 6-4 overall between the two nations, they hadn't actually met across the net in seven years. Interestingly the Chinese came to the Beilun Sport and Art Centre on an 0-4 run against South American opponents that dates right back to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they had downed Venezuela 3-2. And so that run was ended. Chuan in particular has stamped his class on both of China's outings in the first round, having led scoring with 17 points in the 3-2 loss to Bulgaria on Friday night. But his serving skills have also been a highlight thanks to their pace and precision. The real test now comes on Sunday against the world number two-ranked USA, who've won both their first-round matches so far and are already cementing their place as one of the VNL favourites. POLAND 3-0 RUSSIA Krakow, Poland , May 2016, 2018 - Michael Kubiak, Poland’s captain fantastic, brilliantly led from the front as Russia were blown away in straight sets (25-15 25-23 25-23) to delight a packed house in Krakow. The wing spiker was inspirational for the home side, weighing in with 19 points and powering his side forward as they made it two wins from two in the VNL. Kubiak was the star but it a hugely impressive all-round performance from the Poles - Lukasz Kaczmarek was also on fire and finished with 16 points - who were roared on by 11,000 fans at the atmospheric Tauron Arena. New coach Vital Heynen would have been apprehensive about Russia’s giant Dmitriy Muserskiy following his own blockbusting start in the demolition of Canada on Friday but the dangerous 29 year-old was kept relatively quiet - he ended up with 17 which was simply not enough to stem the Polish tide. Romanas Shkulyavichus and Alexander Markin both weighed in with seven points yet there were not enough sizable contributions from the rest of the squad who must now dust themselves down ahead of their next match with Korea. Muserskiy's serves may have topped 120 kph but his team-mates were unable to assert consistent streams of pressure to knock Kubiak and friends off their game. It was the 50th meeting of these two European superpowers - Poland’s only ever Olympic volleyball gold came against the Russians in 1976 - with both teams entering the fevered atmosphere in fine form following impressive opening match victories. Poland may be carrying the weight of an expectant nation but for Russia, who are missing key players for this inaugural VNL competition, the pressure was undoubtedly on. Beating Canada on Friday was a superb start and helped get Muserskiy into the swing straight away. The middle blocker started very well here in what was a tight, power packed beginning. Polish coach Heynen saw a number of his stars all contribute in helping swat aside Korea in straight sets - Artur Szalpuk (16), Jakub Kochanowski (12), Dawid Konarski (10) and Aleksander Sliwka (10) - so he would have been delighted to see the likes of captain Kubiak and Bartosz Bednorz come to the party early on and help establish an early 15-11 lead. The Russians were really struggling to establish a foothold in the game - Poland’s speed of movement and tactical awareness setting them apart. Kubiak was serving at 116 kph - he was literally too hot to handle. Muserskiy was being kept quiet, mainly down to his team’s inability to maintain a service run and the quality of Poland’s overall play and relentless pressure which helped them ease into a comprehensive first set lead. The workload was being shared and the momentum was, undoubtedly, with the home side. Russia needed a good start to the second - yet Muserskiy’s very first serve smashed into the net. Coach Sergei Shilapniko must have begun to fear the worst and although his team managed to settle down, Poland’s impressive form in the opener continued apace. The challenge was to keep the heat on. There was a four point cushion for Heynen as the first technical time-out was called yet Muserskiy began to find his feet from the service line allowing the Russians to draw level at 10-10. Poland were unable to reproduce the red-hot form of the first set and when they fell 14-16 down, now was the time to see if they really were contenders for the title. Kubiak was less effective and when another thumping spike from Muserskiy smashed him on the head, the Polish skipper needed to galvanize his troops or risk allowing Russia back into the contest. At 22-22, the match was on a knife-edge but a brilliant block from Piotr Nowakowski gave the home team two set points before the middle-blocker unleashed a devastating spike to seal the set. Kubiak came to the fore in the third, dragging himself all over the court and helping produce some wonderful passages of play. The Polish fans in the stands were playing their part, singing and dancing their hearts out as their team eased into a 17-12 lead, a position of power which stayed in their grasp until the very end. A brilliant block from the skipper helped set up four match points and although two went begging, it was left to the excellent Kaczmarek to seal the deal. IRAN 3-0 AUSTRALIA Rouen, France, May 2016, 2018 - Australia conceded its second defeat in Saturday's action at the men's Nation League as Lincoln Williams scored 18 points in a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Iran (25-23, 25-23, 25-21).Iran, in their usual style, didn't play with much fanfare but coach Kolakovic's men proved once again a well-oiled machine as Ali Shafiei yielded 17 points, including 3 blocks and 2 aces.Shafiei had a large support crew but special mention needs to go to Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi (8 spikes, 1 block, 2 aces) as well as Amir Ghafour (6 points).Opposite spiker Williams was the most gallant in defeat, top-scoring at 18 ahead of Luke Smith (12 points) but the 24-year old misfired and struggled against a solid Iran block.After losing their opening Nations League games on Friday, both team were after their first win of the season. It was also a matter of regional domination as Iran and Australia met for the third time in a world competition (one win each).After troubling hosts France (3-1) the day before, Iran started strongly on the back of an interesting run behind the line by middle blocker Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi (5-9). But it wasn't enough to hold off their Asian counterparts as the Aussies clawed back into the game as Lincoln Alexander Williams managed yet another powerful spike (14-12). Sneakily, Igor Kolakovic's men remained within reach of Australia only to leapfrog in front at the business end of the first set (25-23).The Volleyroos started the second set strongly but Iran, thanks to its efficient block led by Ali Shafiei, managed to keep composure (6-6). Both teams fought tooth and nails as Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi levelled at 14-14. Two spikes from Williams then sent Australia in front but the 2007 Asian champs couldn't remain there despite an impressive double block from Max Staples... In a brilliant rally, Iran came once again from behind and closed the deal as Ali Shafiei stole the set with a powerful spike (25-23).It was more of the same in the third as Iran proved highly efficient, thanks largely to a dominating block (6-4). And when Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi found the target, there was nothing from stopping Iran to claim its maiden victory. Not Smith's spike at 13-10, not even Shafiei's wide attempt at 18-14. With the wind in their sails, Iran sealed the deal with another misfire by Williams (25-21). ITALY 3-2 BRAZIL Kraljevo, Serbia, May 26, 2018. In the 66th encounter between Italy and Brazil it was the Azzurri captain who consistently made the difference when it mattered. While setter Simone Giannelli expertly provided the ammunition, more often than not it was Ivan Zaytsev who finished the points that resulted in an important 3-2 win for Italy (18-25, 25-19, 25-21, 24-26, 15-8). After scoring 20 points against Germany, Zaytsev was in equally fine form scoring 32 points across the five sets. A true showman, the crowd enjoyed him jokingly asking for a challenge after serving a ball into the back wall of the hall. Blengini Gianlorenzo will rightly say that his team should have got it done in the 4th set, but Brazil came fighting back and forced the tie-breaker. However in the deciding 5th set there was really only one team that were going to win as Italy dominated throughout and it was fitting that their setter crafted the final point to take the win with a reverse one handed tip shot. Whilst their star players will rightly take most of the plaudits, in truth this was a real team performance from Italy with players across the board producing when it mattered. Evidenced by the ace count, where they outscored Brazil 14-7, and had five players registering two or more aces in the match. The Brazilian starting line-up brought four changes (three plus the starting libero) from their opening win but regardless they started as they had left off against Germany. Brazil have now won the first set in each of their last 14 matches at major world level, however unusually they failed to convert on this occasion. Mauricio Borges Almeida Silva top scored for Brazil with 14, who showed a far greater spread of their points across the nine players who started sets, as the coach continued to switch things up. This match may just be one of 120 in the Round Robin Phase of this inaugural Volleyball National League, but it also a rematch of both the Athens 2004 and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games final. These two teams may well face each other again in the competition, but that will be further down the road. Next up Brazil will face Germany tomorrow, followed by Italy against Serbia. Brazil led at both the technical time-outs (8-5 and 16-14) in the first set, largely due to the middle power provided from Isac Santos. Apart from some exquisite moments of brilliance from Simone Giannelli, Italy were not really in the set from start to finish. Then up stepped Brazils Leonardo Ferreira Do Nascimento for his first involvement in a world level competition and he did not disappoint, delivering an ace straight to the floor to secure the first set by 7 points for his side. The second set was where Ivan Zaytsev and his side really got going. They came out unchanged in personnel, but there was a complete change with their intent. Brazils coach switched things up as the set approached double figures, bringing on setter William Arjona and their top scorer from their first match Wallace De Souza, subsequently taking the setter to the back row. However, the Italian lead just continued to grow – halted only briefly by a monster serve from Isac Santos measured at 122.4 kmph. The set ended with a touch being called by the Challenge system off an Osmany Juantorena spike, much to the disbelief of the reigning Olympic Champions Brazil.The third set started with one of those points that you can watch again and again, with both teams scrambling around and showing invention in equal measure. Make sure you check out the match replay for the rally starting at 1-2 to Brazil in the third. That point went the way of Brazil and so did the first part of the set. Italy clawed their way back and a hat-trick of aces from their captain established a lead at 13-10. Gabriele Nelli came on in the twenties and matched the feat of his captain earlier in the set by scoring a hat-trick of aces and with that the set was pretty much secured – it ended 25-21.Trailing 1-2, Brazils coach Renan Dal Zotto resorted to his tried and tested six from their first match win against the Germans and in the early part of the set it seemed to make the difference. As the set grew on, so did the confidence of the Azzurri. But in the twenties their structure seemed to desert them and despite saving a couple of set points some powerful blocking from the team in Gold took the set for them 26-24 to level the match.The fifth set was generally a tense affair, but through the composure of Giannelli, the power of Zaytsev and with Juantorena coming more to the fore they had an 8-3 at the change of ends. Italy powered on and there was no way back for Brazil – even with their so-called strongest team on the court for the conclusion. SERBIA 3-1 GERMANY Kraljevo, Serbia, May 26, 2018. Serbia take their first win of the new Volleyball Nations League against a resilient Germany with Drazen Luburic scoring 21 points, excelling in attack from both front and back court. After going a set down, the home side started to fire up the crowd and slowly took control by attacking through all channels to secure a 3-1 win (19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-14). With the teams being 10th (GER) and 11th (SRB) in the world ranking it was always going to be close, but the changes made by both coaches led to a quite unpredictable match. Coming into the game Serbia were on a five-match losing streak at major world level and despite a sluggish start it was evident they were keen to put that behind them. Coming from the bench, captain Marko Ivovic led his side showing composure at key times, but the star man was top scoring Drazen Luburic and all eyes will be on tomorrow to see who starts as Opposite Hitter in their next match. Uros Kovacevic also excelled throughout with 17 points, but he did get lucky after a comical moment provided him with an ace when one of his serves was going a long way wide but hit a retreating Simon Hirsch who could not get out of the way in time. Another standout player was Srecko Lisinac who produced a couple of stunning middle attacks, often grounding the ball inside the German three meter area. With only Tobias Krick and Lukas Kampa keeping their starting slots after the loss the previous day to Italy, they will have been pleased with the start they made. However, their level could not be sustained and Serbia soon found their rhythm. Germany have now lost successive major world level matches for the first time since 2016. With only two players reaching double figures in points, and no-one scoring more than the 11 scored by Daniel Malescha, the German attack was often stifled by the Serbian block defence. Serbia now lead the series between the two teams 6-4 in major world level encounters and will go into tomorrow’s match against Italy a little more confident but knowing a win is needed if they are too seriously challenge in the Volleyball National League this season. Germany will face Brazil in the early match and will hope that they can turn their fortunes around against the Olympic champions. With the first set score 11-5 to the away side, Nikola Grbić decided he had seen enough and brought his captain on through position 4. There was an instant response but it only lasted a few points and before they knew it Germany had 9 set points to take the first set. Serbia saved a number of them making ominous signs of what was to come in the 2nd set, but Germany held out and took the opener 25-19. Serbia started like a different team in the second set, keeping their captain on the court to steer the ship. With Srecko Lisinac starting to get into the game after not getting any of the ball in the first set Serbia started to show their quality leading 16-13 at the second technical. A sollid serving run from the Serbian captain saw them extend their lead and Germany brought on Marcus Böhme to try and regain control of the middle of the net, but it was his two consecutive aces which initially caught the eye. In the end, the Serbian lead was too much and they levelled the match. Andrea Giani started with Böhme in the third set knowing he had to provide more blocking threat to the Serbian attack and with him and Tobias Krick through the middle it worked as Germans hands got on a lot more of the ball helping their defence work around it. Serbia brought on Petar Krsmanovic for his first Volleyball Nations League action and he went on a strong serving run and grasped control of the set for the home side. In a set were Serbia doubled the attack points of Germany, they ran our worthy winners to 16 points. Germany's coach rang the changes for the fourth set looking to force the deciding set. He could also be heard demanding more variety from his servers and attackers at a time out, but it was not to be as the home crowd cheered on their side to an important victory, dominating the final set 25-14. FRANCE 3-1 JAPAN Rouen, France, May 26, 2018 - France made it two for two at home as Kevin Tillie stole the show in Saturday's with a gritty 3-1 victory over Japan (25-16, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22) at the 2018 Nations League.Playing some wonderful volleyball along the way, showing plenty of agility and guile in attack, Les Bleus turned to Kevin Tillie to provide the spark they needed to get rid of a solid Japanese side. The Outside hitter from Beijing VB provided 17 points on his own, including two blocks and one ace.Stephen Boyer (15 points) and Jonas Aguenier (13 points) were also instrumental.The star on the night for Japan was Opposite spiker Yuji Nishida with 15 points while middle blocker Kentaro Takahashi chipped in with a haul of 9 that included a team-leading two blocks. With victories over Iran (3-1) and Australia (3-0) respectively, both France and Japan headed into Saturday's game hoping to double their wins in the competition. Statistics favoured the home side as Les Bleus have won 28 of their previous 33 encounters with the Asian outfit in world level major tournaments. But there was a glimmer of hope for the Japanese: France have lost only one of their last 14 major world level fixtures played in front of a home crowd in France, a 3-1 defeat against... Japan at the 2016 World League.Once again, against their favourite victim, the home side jumped to an early 5-1 lead. Straight off the mark, Kevin Tillie and Stephen Boyer were on target and the Japanese struggled as they were being picked apart by the high flying hitters (16-8). And, despite a few time outs, coach Nakagaichi's men remained unresponsive as they collapsed against a well-oiled gallic machine (19-10). A last ditch effort by the Japanese, followed by a gritty rally, entertained the faint hope of an upset but the French easily claimed the first set after a deft Kevin Le Roux play (25-16).Japan - finally - turned things around at the beginning of the second set as France misfired and the Asian outfit raced to a 5-1 advantage. But France are a formidable opponent and Les Bleus quickly hit back to level at 6-6. In front of a partisan crowd, Laurent Tillie's men failed however to use the momentum and let Japan, led by libero Yuji Nishida, jump ahead (16-12). Once again, the French clawed back into the game as Boyer hit spike after spike (22-19) but it just wasn't enough as Boyer sent his service in the net (25-20).Another strong start from Les Bleus gave the home side an early lead (6-3) in the third. But, once again, France failed to make the best of their chances and let their opponents back into the game after Julien Lyneel hit it wide (12-11). It wasn't enough, however, to disrupt the home side and, when Nishida didn't hit the target Tillie sealed the deal with a powerful spike (25-20).But any hope of a Japanese comeback in the fourth set was quickly dismissed with Barthélémy Chinenyeze coming off the bench to land a couple of huge spikes to help France establish a comfortable 4-point lead at the first technical time out (10-6). With the wind in their sails, the French were unstoppable as Boyer split Japan's block (16-14). Les Bleus remained on top thanks to a Masahiro Sekita mistake (25-22). CANADA 3-0 SOUTH KOREA Krakow, Poland , May 26 - Stephen Maar topped the scoring for Canada who put their opening match misery behind them to overpower Korea in straight-sets (25-20 25-17 25-19) and set themselves up perfectly for a clash with Poland on Sunday. Maar may have ended this straightforward victory with 12 points but there were also impressive contributions from Graham Vigrass (11 points) and Bradley Gunter (eight points) as the Canadian, who were excellent at the net earning eight blocks to just one from their opponents, recovered from losing to Russia on Friday by eventually seeing off a Korea side who battled hard but were ultimately outclassed. Jiseok Jung with 11 points was the stand-out performer for Korea though too many errors, especially on serve, was their ultimate undoing and with Russia next up, those mistakes will need to be eradicated if a clean sweep of defeats is to be avoided. With both teams suffering difficult starts to their VNL campaigns, it was imperative that improvements were the order of the day. Canada came into the clash as favorites - their power game with an emphasis on high, hard hitting should have been too much for a Korean side whose approach is based around speed and accuracy. Canadian captain Tyler Sanders, who plays his club volleyball in Poland, would have been pleased with a start which saw his side move 13-8 ahead with Gunter, who bagged 15 points in Friday’s defeat to Russia, and Vigrass both contributing well. Sung-Min Moon began promisingly for the Koreans and it was his tenacity and doggedness which characterized the team spirit which saw their opponents restricted and unable to stretch out a comprehensive lead. Too often, however, solid play wasn’t backed up with a serve and when Nicholas Hoag smashed home after initially producing a brilliant block to make it 22-16, the writing was very much on the wall. One set point was saved but when the next chance arose, Gunter rose superbly to put coach Stephane Antiga’s team in the driving seat. An impressive 17 spikes from the Canadians was key although six service errors from both also told its own story. Canada were producing the kind of form which saw the USA beaten to the bronze medal in last year’s World League though the second set was scrappy with more mistakes creeping in on both sides of the net. Sanders finally opened his account to snatch the lead away from Korea and make it 10-9 in what continued to be a very tight encounter. Yet the Canadians continued to hold the upper hand with the points being nicely spread out in what was a supreme team effort from Antiga’s side. Korean wing spiker Jung was doing his best but, ultimately, was fighting a losing battle. Midway through the third set, Korea had just one block compared to five from Canada with the error count for both teams hitting 34. The Korean serve, however, kept letting them down and stopped Kim Hochul’s men from making inroads into their opponent’s lead which was beginning to look insurmountable and the result was confirmed by a superb Hoag block on match point.

Day 02 France 3-1 Japan (25-16 / 20-25 / 25-20 / 25-22)

Day 02 Serbia 3-1 Germany (19-25 / 25-21 / 25-16 / 25-14)

Day 02 Canada 3-0 South Korea (25-20 / 25-17 / 25-19)

Day 02 : Iran 3-0 Australia (25-23 / 25-23 / 25-21)

Day 02 Italy 3-2 Brazil (18-25 / 25-19 / 25-21 / 24-26 / 8-15)

Day 02 Poland 3-0 Russia (25-15 / 25-23 / 25-23)

Amazing game for us so far

Day 02 China 3-0 Argentina (25-22 / 25-21 / 25-18)

Group Stage, LEG 3 out of 6 Day 1 out of 2 - 26 may 2018 - schedule all times are CEST GOLDEN LEAGUE GROUP A 17:30 Bulgaria - Azerbaijan GROUP B 16:00 Finland - Hungary 20:00 Croatia - France GROUP C 16:00 Czech Republic - Slovakia 16:00 Belarus - Spain FREE STREAMING OF THE GOLDEN LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-golden-european-league-women SILVER LEAGUE GROUP A 17:00 Estonia - Sweden 17:30 Switzerland - Kosovo GROUP B 17:00 Georgia - Austria 19:00 Israel - Albania FREE STREAMING OF THE SILVER LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-silver-european-league-frauen

Group Stage, LEG 3 out of 6 Day 1 out of 2 - 26 may 2018 - schedule all times are CEST GOLDEN LEAGUE GROUP A 20:00 Sweden - Estonia 20:30 Belgium - Slovakia GROUP B 17:00 Netherlands - Ukraina GROUP C 19:00 Czech Republic - Spain 19:00 Finland - Portugal FREE STREAMING OF THE GOLDEN LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-golden-european-league-men SILVER LEAGUE GROUP A 18:00 Latvia - Kosovo GROUP B 16:00 Belarus - Hungary 17:00 Croatia - Albania FREE STREAMING OF THE SILVER LEAGUE MATCHES IS AVAILABLE AT: http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/volleyball-cev-silver-european-league-maenner

Day 02 United States 3-1 Bulgaria (25-19 / 22-25 / 25-20 / 25-19 )

MEN'S Week 1, day 2 SCHEDULE (26 MAY 2018) all times are CEST 10:00 Bulgaria - United States 13:30 China - Argentina 16:00 Poland - Russia 16:00 Brazil- Italy 17:00 Australia - Iran 19:00 South Korea - Canada 20:00 France - Japan 20:00 Serbia - Germany

RELIMINARY ROUND STANDINGS after 1 played match 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. 1 0 3 3:0 2. 1 0 3 3:0 3. 1 0 3 3:0 4. QUALIFIED 1 0 3 3:1 5. 1 0 3 3:1 6. 1 0 3 3:1 7. 1 0 2 3:2 8. CHALLENGER 1 0 2 3:2 9. 0 1 1 2:3 10. 0 1 1 2:3 11. 0 1 0 1:3 12. 0 1 0 1:3 13 CHALLENGER 0 1 0 1:3 14 0 1 0 0:3 15 CHALLENGER 0 1 0 0:3 16 CHALLENGER 0 1 0 0:3

DAY 1 SUMMARY United States 3-2 Argentina Ningbo, China, May 25 - Benjamin Patch's match-leading 23 points helped the United States get their 2018 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League campaign under way with a gritty 3-2 (25-27, 24-26, 26-24, 25-21, 15-10) victory over Argentina on Friday. But the win wasn't without its worries for the world's number two-ranked team as they had to claw their way back from two sets down. They had opposite spiker Patch and, as the match wore on, wing spiker Taylor Sander (19 points) to thank for keeping level heads in face of sustained pressure from their seventh-ranked opponents. The Argentinians were led by wing spiker Ezequiel Palacios and middle blocker Pablo Crer with 17 points each but shared the spoils among themselves with four players in total reaching double figures. They had a chance to seal the match in the third but the Americans dug themselves out of trouble thanks mainly to the imposing presence of the 23-year-old Patch, who kept finding places to put the ball away. The United States came to China ranked only behind Brazil in the world and were on a 3-0 streak against Argentina at the world level, winning their last encounter 3-1 at the 2016 FIVB Volleyball World League. Argentina obviously forgot to carry the form book with them on the flight in, though, and relentless pressure in the first two sets, set in motion by Crer's six spikes and three blocks, had the Americans looking for answers to the upstarts. For a while in the third it looked like only a question of whether or not the South Americans could hold their nerves. But the United States grew in confidence - and Patch seemed to grow in size. His tally included 21 monstrous spikes. There is a feeling that there is a point to prove for the United States men's team at the VNL. No doubt the exploits of the American women - who have ended two rounds of play on top of the rankings with an impressive 5-1 record - would have inspired. But it's been two years since the US men's climbed the podium at major world level competition, bronze at the Rio Olympics. There were no signs of panic from United States coach John Speraw - "stay pressing" was the message he conveyed in every time out - but he'll be looking for much better performances when the Americans face the world 14th-ranked Bulgaria and the 20th-ranked Chinese to complete the first round of matches Bulgaria 3-2 China Ningbo, China, May 25 - Bulgarian wing spiker Boyan Yordanov led the way with 17 points as his team received a decent old scare from China but rallied back to win 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 19-25, 25-17, 15-11) in first round action at the inaugural 2018 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League. It was a tense encounter from the first serve as the world 14th-ranked Bulgarians looked to continue their historical dominance of the 20th-ranked Chinese. In the end it was Yordanov, along with wing spiker Rozalin Penchev (13 points) - both seasoned campaigners - who made all the difference. But China forced the Europeans to work overtime - much to the delight of fans in Ningbo who were treated to two five-setters on the opening night of action in the eastern Chinese city. The star on the night for the locals was opposite spiker Chuan Jiang with 17 points, while middle blocker Rao Shuhan chipped in with a haul of 14 that included a team-leading three blocks. The stat sheet didn't look too promising for the home team coming in to the encounter. China had not beaten the Bulgarians in 56 years - since way back in 1962 at the FIVB World Championship in Moscow. Overall it was 13-1 in favour of Bulgaria in head-to-heads and there were moments of silence to greet the visitors' winning early points - almost as though the crowd were fearful about what was to unfold. Things looked to be following form after a first set where China never looked comfortable - and Yordanov had already started to dominate for the Bulgarians. But China dug deep in the second stanza and started to rally behind the efforts of Chuan. China's coach Raul Lozano had said the day before that playing the "best teams in the world" was a great opportunity "to show our positive side on home soil, so I expect my players to have a great performance.” A courtside cheer squad then got the locals engaged in a series of chants in the hope it would lift the players and it seemed to work in the second and third sets, helped along by a high Bulgarian error count that would reach 38 by the end of the night. But those errors were offset by the hard shifts clocked in by Yordanov, Penchev and the effervescent captain Viktor Yosifov and Bulgaria can move on with their confidence boosted as they prepare to next face the USA and then Argentina. Poland 3-0 South Korea Katowice, Poland, May 25, 2018 – With a stellar performance by their setter Fabian Drzyzga, Poland started off their FIVB Volleyball Nations League campaign with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-21) victory over Korea. Drzyzga nicely spread the Polish attacks, practically “hiding the ball” from the Korean blockers and diggers. The spikers rose up to the level and got the job done, with two of them, Artur Szalpuk and Aleksander Sliwka, reaching the double digits in attacking points. Szalpuk became the top scorer of the match with a total of 16 points, including two aces and four blocks. That department made the biggest point difference in the match with 13 stuff blocks against only two for Korea. The Asian team did their best to put on a fight. Gyeong-Bok Na scored seven times during the first set, but later in the match got replaced to finish with eight. Substitute Jae-Duck Seo, who came into play during the second set, topped Korea’s charts with nine points. The home fans in Katowice helped create the big match atmosphere at the Spodek, which inspired the squad around coach Vital Heynen to put on a great game and cruise to a straight-set victory. With the two teams trading break points for a while at the beginning of the first set, the lead switched hands several times, before Artur Szalpuk aced for 9-7 to set Poland on a break-away run to a 12-7 lead. Korea struck back with a couple of spectacular hits by Jiseok Jung to narrow the gap down to three. Poland responded with libero Pawel Zatorski practically scoring a point with a great dig – the ball went deep into the opponents’ half, the Koreans took it for too long and let it drop on the floor. That incredible rally, sandwitched in between two fantastic power shots by Jakub Kochanowski shots through the middle, gave the momentum back to Poland. Opposite Dawid Konarski closed the set at 25-20 Poland’s way, delivering his fifth point in the set. Poland’s coach Vital Heynen won the first point of the second set with a successful challenge. The blockers chipped in with three points to give the home side a 5-1 lead. Taekeui Hwang brought Korea a little closer with an ace for 10-6. His teammate Jae-Duck Seo delivered another one for 13-10. Polish setter Fabian Drzyzga continued his fabulous performance to give the offensive line many opportunities to shine and regain control of the set. Another successful challenge by coach Heynen made the score 18-13 and put smiles on everyone at the venue, but the Koreans. A couple of more kill blocks made the Korean comeback impossible and the second set was put away at 25-18. Inspired by the great support of the Katowice crowd, the home team continued to dominate throughout the third set. Drzyzga was doing his magic making it hard for the opponents to decode the Polish offensive efforts. Artur Szalpuk was the big star of this set. Scoring the first break point of the set with a monster one-man block, he set off on a killing spree delivering a total of eight points (five spikes, three blocks) on the way to the eventual victory. The Koreans made far too many unforced errors, including the one in attack, which ended the set and the match at 25-21. Italy 3-1 Germany Kraljevo, Serbia, May 25, 2018 - Italy kicked off their 2018 Nations League with a winning start on Friday as they swept past Germany 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20) thanks to a ruthless Ivan Zaytsev.The outside hitter of Russian origin top-scored for Italy as he added accurate serving to his finishing ability: three aces and 18 points helped Zaytsev lead the way for the Azzurri.The Sir Safety Perugia player was backed in his solid performance by his Cuban-born counterpart Osmany Juantorena. The Cucine Lube Civitanova hitter had a strong showing with 10 spikes and two blocks.Germany simply made too many errors to be able to mount a challenge against an Italian side widely considered as one of the best in the world currently. Moritz Reichert and Simon Hirsch shared the spoils with 11 and 13 points each.Italy won their last four encounters with Germany and the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists seemed in no mood to change things and let the Mannschaft claim their first world major level victory over the Azzurri since 2003.Ivan Zaytsev was on target early on to give Italy a healthy lead (14-8). After its second technical time out, Germany seemeed responseless despite Tobias Krick and Christian Fromm splitting Italy's block (16-10)... Especially as Osmany Juantorena struck back immediately. A last minute effort saw Germany rally to put Italy under pressure but two unforced errors, out of the Mannschaft's nine in the first set, sealed the deal for the Squadra Azzurra (25-18).Serving errors continued to cause Germany problems in the second half but, luckily for them, Italy wasn't as dominant despite another strong showing by Zaytsev (12-10). Another master block from Italy gave Gianlorenzo Blengini's a confortable cushion as Zaytsev claimed two aces (25-19).It was more of the same in the third set with Germany's mistakes preventing them from putting sufficient pressure on Italy's shoulders (8-6). Moritz Reichert and Simon Hirsch kept Germany's hopes alive but the Azzurri were simply too strong as Zaytsev spiked again (16-14). A gritty rally, however, saw the Germans claw back into the game (22-22)... Italy then uncharacteristically completely collapsed and made back to back errors to allow Germany to come back at 2-1 (25-23).The come from behind win seemed to have woken up the Mannschaft as they raced to an early 5-2 lead which forced Italy's coach to call a time out. After the quick brea, Zaytsev's immediate response lead the way as the "Tsar" spiked to keep his teammates in the game (7-7). Germany had a chance to claw back but squandered it to let Italy leapfrong in front (11-8). Another Zaytsev spike was the beginning of the end for Germany who were not match for Italy's strong block despite a Lukas Kampa ace (16-11). A deft play and another strong performance from the block lifted Italy within grasp of victory as Germany made another unforced error (20-15). A final German mistake got the job done (25-20). Japan 3-1 Australia Rouen, France, May 25, 2018 - Haku Ri guided Japan to victory in their first ever FIVB men's Nations League encounter as they saw off Australia in 4 sets (25-18, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17) to open up their Pool 1 campaign on a positive note. Japan were the better side against an Australia team ranked a lowly 16th in the world, and the defending Asian champions mixed some beautiful disguised shots with frustrating errors in equal measure in a display that was far from flawless. But they got the job done, although bigger tests await them against 2017 World League champions France and Asian powerhouses Iran in Rouen over the course of the weekend. The Japanese were indebted to Ri's power at the net with their main attacking focal point chipping in with a game-high 18 points, while Masahiro Yanagida and Yuji Nishida were the supporting duo with 16 and 15 points respectively with Japan, at times, showing fluidity and artistry in attack. But their serving was often found wanting and will be ruthlessly exposed against better teams unless they improve markedly. Australia gave it their all but were outclassed by a side ranked 4 places above them in the world rankings, although top scorer Neremiah Mote - with 16 points - was always dangerous from spike range. Lincoln Williams (8 points) and replacement Thomas Hodges (11 points), who made a big impact when he came on in the 3rd set, also produced notable performances, but collectively Australia were error-strewn with their serving a huge weakness. Japan had a 4-2 winning record against the Volleyroos prior to this match, and were favourites to add another victory in Rouen, and they began to take control when Nishida and then Ri powered home a pair of spikes to put their side into an 8-6 lead heading into the first technical time out. A superb Jordan Richards spike closed the gap to 11-12, but 4 straight points put the Japanese in complete control at 16-11. Japan then pulled clear to take the set 25-18. The second set was painful viewing from a serving perspective with 3 successive serving errors - 2 from Australia and 1 from Japan - contributing to a messy opening, but Japan soon picked things up and led 8-5 at the first technical time out. Japan, who impressed in Group 2 in last year's World League before losing all 5 matches in the Grand Champions Cup, were soon pegged back with coaches Yuichi Nakagaichi and Philippe Blain calling a time out at 10-10. It seemed to do the trick as Japan led 16-13 at the next technical time out following a poor serve from Australia's Richards. Japan sensed their opportunity against limited opposition and they scored 6 straight points - thanks to some thunderous serving from Yanagida - to race clear and take the set 25-15. Australia coach Mark Lebedew threw on Hodges at the start of the 3rd set and that move worked a treat as the replacement notched 2 blistering spikes to help his side into a 7-4 lead, but Tatsuya Fukuzawa's explosive spike - at 106 kmh - levelled matters at 7-7 before the Aussies led at the first technical time out. Mote was looking more influential and he went on a scoring spree to give Australia a 3-point cushion, but Japan roared back to gain a 1-point advantage at 17-16. A couple of superb Fukuzawa spikes looked to have got Japan over the line, but Mote produced 2 of his own, and Hodges - the star of the 3rd set - got the clinching point to send the match into a 4th set and haul the Volleyroos right back into it. But any hope of an Australian comeback in the 4th set was quickly dismissed with Yanagida landing a couple of huge spikes to help Japan establish a comfortable 4-point lead at the first technical time out. And Japan seized the set by the scruff of the net with Ri - who was also invaluable as a blocker - landing a spike to send them 16-8 in front at the next stoppage. Australia were never able to bridge that 8-point gap, and Luke Smith's dreadful serve handed Japan the set (25-17) and the match in 4 sets in exactly 2 hours. Japan, who scored 55 spikes to Australia's 39 to illustrate their extra attacking flair, are off the mark in their Nations League Russia 3-0 Canada Katowice, Poland, May 25, 2018 – Russian star Dmitriy Muserskiy, one of the tallest athletes in the world, marked a terrific return to the national team making a solid contribution to the 3-0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-19) victory over Canada in the first leg of the inaugural 2018 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. The 2.18m-tall middle blocker Muserskiy showed a fantastic overall performance, scoring as many as 15 points (10 spikes, 3 blocks, 2 aces), and inspired his young teammates on the way to the straight-set win in his first official game with Sbornaya after the 2016 World League. Egor Kliuka was the best spiker on the Russian squad. He made 14 successful attacks for an overall 16 points on his tally, which made him the top scorer of the game. Canada were quite competitive mainly in the first set when they fought bravely and managed to extend it beyond the 25th point, but even though their most prolific player Bradley Robert Gunter (15 points) started scoring abundantly after the first set, his team could not rise up to the level of their classy opponents. The Polish fans at the Spodek in Katowice showed their usual appreciation of the high-level volleyball put on display by both sides, creating a fantastic atmosphere for a big match. They seemed to be hoping for the show to last longer than three sets, but still left satisfied with what Russia and Canada delivered on the court. Stephen Timothy Maar helped cancel out the early 2-0 lead for Russia scoring four of Canada’s first six points, including that great overpass kill that tied it at 3-3. Graham Vigrass followed suit – he hit through the middle for a 7-6 Canada lead, killed the overpass for 8-6 and killed the next point for his team through the middle for 9-7. He also had four points on his tally when Canada had a pretty 10-7 advantage. Dmitriy Muserskiy scored Russia’s only ace of the set to narrow the gap to one point at 11-12. Moments later he made another break point happen with an overpass hit for 17-18. Soon after, Muserskiy even got a chance to shine as a setter. In a long spectacular rally that lasted over 25 seconds, the tallest player on the court did make that pass to Egor Kliuka for the final hit that tied the score at 19-19. Kliuka did it once more, after a fantastic save by Igor Kobzar, to put Russia 20-19 in front. Maar responded with an ace to pull Canada back on top again with a 21-20 lead. In the conclusive moments, a couple of massive blocks by Ilia Vlasov and Anton Karpukhov gave Russia the edge they needed for a 26-24 close. Kobzar’s ace extended Russia’s early lead in set 2 to 5-1. It was time for Canada’s Bradley Robert Gunter to shine in offence. He spiked a ball with a 113 km/h for 10-6 to start off a mini comeback for his team, but his 11 attacking points total in this set did not suffice for a sustainable turnaround. At key moments, Karpukhov scored important break points for Russia, including the stuff block, which ended the set with a comfortable 25-14 win. Canada held up through the first technical time-out of the third set, when they had a one-point lead. Muserskiy took centre stage, stringing up a powerful hit through the middle for 11-9, a kill block for 13-10 and a lucky off-the-net ace for 18-12. Canada’s late attempt at a comeback narrowed their deficit to three points, but a fantastic hit by Russian setter Kobzar for 22-18 shifted the momentum. Three unforced errors by Canada handed Russia a 25-19 win and the victory in the match. France 3-1 Iran Rouen, France, May 25, 2018 - Earvin Ngapeth provided the spark for France as the hosts began their inaugural FIVB men's Nations League campaign with a gritty 4-set victory (25-20, 24-26, 25-20, 25-17) over Asian powerhouses Iran. This was an intriguing match-up between two high quality sides, but it was 2017 World League champions France who got the better of the Grand Champions Cup bronze medallists in front of their home crowd at the Kindarena Arena on the banks of the River Seine, although it was far from easy against determined opposition. France had Ngapeth to thank for a commanding attacking performance which yielded 18 points, but their star man was also erratic with his serving uncharacteristically poor. Jean Patry (17 points) was also a menace, while setter Benjamin Toniutti and libero Jenia Grebennikov were as influential as ever. Barthelemy Chinenyeze, who scored 8 spikes from 8 attempts, and Nicola Le Goff (9 points) also produced some big moments. France often utilised a 3-man blocking technique to great effect, but it was their extra attacking flair that gave them the edge in a tight match. Iran, who beat France for the first time last year on their way to a 3rd-placed finish at the Grand Champions Cup - their first-ever podium finish at world level - provided plenty of power and style, while their blocking mirrored the quality of the French. Amir Ghafour was a scoring machine with 18 points - all of them spikes - while Seyed Mohammad (9 points) and Milad Ebadipour (6 points) were also influential. Iran were terrific but were ultimately outgunned, although they'll expect to beat Australia and Japan in their remaining Pool 1 games in Rouen. The opening set began amidst much fanfair in Rouen and France - led by the powerful Le Goff - were soon in their stride and forged a healthy 8-4 by the first technical time out. Iran though are battle-hardened campaigners and, far from overawed, they closed to within 2 points thanks to Ghafour's powerful spike. France though had an extra gear, Patry and Ngapeth added further spikes - the latter scoring after a brilliant piece of play from Grebennikov - to bring up set point and Patry rounded it out 25-20 to the delight of the home crowd. France, who have won 2 of the last 3 World Leagues, were in the mood. With Iran trailing just 6-5 in the second set, Laurent Tillie's men bridged the gap to 3 points at the first technical time out before a gorgeous placed shot from Thibaut Rossard extended the advantage further. Ngapeth, the 2017 World League MVP, then grabbed the set by the scruff of the net with some spectacular spikes with Iran struggling to contain him. Iran though fought back superbly with Ebadipour and Ghafour a constant threat as the visitors moved to within 1 point at 23-22, and the French inexplicably imploded as the Iranian blockers started getting some joy at the net. Seyed's bravery gave Iran set point and he was involved again as Igor Kolakovic's men snatched the set 26-24 and deservedly hauled themselves level. The hosts were rattled and Iran's Montenegrin coach Kolakovic was full of encouragement on the sidelines as Iran took an early 2-1 lead in the 3rd set. Coach Tillie threw on his son Kevin and he notched an important spike to hand France an 8-5 lead at the first technical time out. But a bad Ngapeth miss let Iran close to within 2 at 12-10, and a brilliant Farhad Salafzoon block gave Iran real belief at 19-18 behind. But the best sides often come good at the crucial times, and Chinenyeze came to the fore with a couple of polished spikes to get France over the line 25-20 as they regained control of the match. France led Iran 3-1 in their head-to-head record at world-level events coming into this match, and they charged into an 8-4 lead at the first technical time out with the Iranians facing an uphill task to force a deciding set. But the visitors were proving extremely stubborn opposition and they clawed their way back again with Seyed 's outstanding block - he won 4 block points in the match - closing the gap to 2 points. At 14-12 to France, the set was in the balance but 6 successive points put Les Bleus 8 clear with Iran seemingly tiring. And the hosts closed out a pulsating match by taking the 4th set 25-17 to claim the maximum 3 points and get their Nations League campaign off to a flying start. Brazil 3-0 Serbia Kraljevo, Serbia, May 25, 2018 - A Wallace led Brazil claimed its maiden victory in the 2018 Nations League as the Seleçao dominated hosts Serbia 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 26-24) in Friday's action.In a tough matchup, the Canarinhos had to thank Wallace for his 17 points, including 5 blocks and one ace. The opposite from Funvic Taubate was the star of the show but Mauricio Borges Almeida Silva also was instrumental with 15 points (2 blocks).Serbia struggled despited strong showing from Aleksandar Atanasijevic (15 points) and Marko Ivovic (11 points).The European hosts seemed the favourites against a team that they had beaten in three of their last five world level encounters. But facing the Olympic champions is never easy.And Brazil showed exactly how tough they were by taking an early lead as Murilo was the suprise start. The veteran libero showed that, at 37, he had lost nothing of his talent and helped a Brazil team that had showed some weaknesses in the reception lately. But the Serbs are a formidable opponent and hit back superbly (8-6). That's when Wallace turned on the style despite a solid performance from Atanasijevic. Serbia committed too many mistakes to worry a well-oiled Brazilian machine (25-22).It was more of the same in the second set as both teams fought tooth and nails: Lucao scored an ace but Kovacevic hit back (11-9). But, one by one, the Brazilian attack took the better of its counterpart (15-15) before Mijailovic sent his serve into the net (25-22).Dominated and responseless, the Serbs lost composure and Ivovic sent his spike wide to give Brazil a two-point lead. Now in control, the Canarinhos kept the Europeans at bay (14-12) as Wallace shined (22-20) before Bruninho sealed the deal.

Day 01 Brazil 3-0 Serbia (25-22 / 25-22 / 26-24)

Day 01 France 3-1 Iran (25-20 / 24-26 / 25-20 / 25-17)