China Continues Flawless Run at U21 World Championship in Jiangmen

USA and Egypt maintain their perfect start in Pool A at the U21 World Championship, mirroring the hosts` success.

Published on August 22, 2025

Host nation China continued its impressive run on Friday, securing a decisive victory over Morocco to maintain its leading position in Pool A of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship in Jiangmen. The USA and Egypt also remain undefeated in Pool A. Elsewhere, Poland and Iran hold perfect records in Pool B, while Czechia and Japan lead Pool C. Italy and France have established themselves as dominant forces in Pool D, both also boasting unbeaten streaks.

Pool A Highlights: China, USA, Egypt Dominate

China Sweeps Morocco

China dominated Pool A with a commanding 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-20) win against Morocco. The home team quickly established control, taking the first set comfortably. Although Morocco showed some resistance early in the second set, China swiftly regained momentum to win 25-17. The third set proved more challenging, but China ultimately prevailed after a hard-fought battle.

China’s attack was exceptionally fluid, accumulating 43 points. Gao Yuning was a standout performer with six blocks and eight kills, totaling a team-high 14 points. Wang Bohan and Wu Haoze contributed 11 points each, with Wang finishing with 12 (likely a typo in original text where it says Wang closed with 12 and then Li Hai contributed 11, assuming Wang Bohan got 12). Li Hai also added 11, showcasing the depth of China`s squad. Morocco struggled to counter China`s balanced offense and robust blocking, with Hicham Masmoudi being their only player to reach double figures in scoring.

USA Edges Türkiye in Five Sets

The United States secured its second Pool A victory in a tight 3-2 (21-25, 25-13, 25-22, 21-25, 15-7) contest against Türkiye. After losing the opening set, the Americans bounced back to claim the next two. Türkiye managed to force a decisive fifth set by capitalizing on turnovers, but the U.S. delivered a dominant tie-break performance, pulling away by eight points, to clinch the win.

The United States recorded 51 attacks, 14 blocks, and 11 aces, though they conceded 37 points from errors. Yilmaz Uner led all scorers with 24 points for Türkiye, while Sean Kelly paced the Americans with 22. The U.S.`s broader offensive distribution proved to be the deciding factor.

Egypt Overcomes Thailand in Thriller

Egypt also maintained its perfect record in Pool A, defeating Thailand in a grueling 3-2 (25-20, 14-25, 22-25, 25-17, 15-10) match. Thailand, led by strong performances from Kittipong Sangsak and Christopher Arli Upakam (each with 22 points), took a 2-1 set lead. However, Egypt`s captain Hamza Awad Elsafy (18 points) and Mahmoud Abdelbaki (17 points), backed by a formidable defensive effort, especially 18 blocks (Youssef Elrassas with 5, Elsafy and Ibrahim Abdelmaksood with 4 each), turned the tide in the fourth and fifth sets to secure their second win.

Pool B: Iran and Poland Remain Undefeated

Iran Dominates Puerto Rico

In Pool B, defending champions Iran secured another clean record with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-9) sweep of Puerto Rico. Morteza Narimani (15 points) and Armin Ghelichniazi (11 points, including four aces) led Iran`s dominant offense, which amassed 40 attacks and 12 aces.

Poland Sweeps Korea

Poland mirrored Iran`s success, achieving its second victory with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-20) win against Korea, showcasing superior performance in attacks (43), blocks (8), and aces (6). Wojciech Gajek topped all scorers with 24 points.

Canada Secures First Win Against Kazakhstan

Canada registered its first win after a thrilling five-set encounter against Kazakhstan, winning 3-2 (34-32, 23-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13). Key contributions came from Daniil Hershtynovich (22 points), Owen Weekes (20 points), and Owen Harris (17 points, including five of Canada’s 14 blocks).

Pool C: Japan and Czechia Maintain Perfect Records

Japan Outlasts Bulgaria

Pool C delivered more nail-biting action, with Japan narrowly defeating Bulgaria 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12) to maintain their perfect streak. Takuma Kawano (24 points) and Shunta Ono (23 points) were instrumental for Japan, overcoming strong efforts from Bulgaria`s Aleksandar Kandarev (23 points) and Georgi Bachvarov (17 points).

Brazil Bounces Back Against Colombia

Meanwhile, Brazil recovered from its initial loss by sweeping Colombia 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-20), with Felipe Parra Albuquerque (17 points), Martos Antonio Soares Neto (13 points), and Thiago Vaccari Kavalkievicz (12 points) leading their attack, combining for 36 of Brazil’s 44 attack points.

Czechia Triumphs Over Cuba in Five Sets

Czechia also remained unbeaten, overcoming Cuba in a five-set marathon, 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 26-24, 24-26, 15-9). Tomas Brichta led Czechia with 28 points, effectively countering Daniel Martinez`s impressive match-high 41 points for Cuba. Czechia`s balanced offensive effort, featuring four players in double digits, proved crucial for their group lead.

Pool D: Italy and France Remain Unbeaten

Italy Claims Lead with Ukraine Sweep

Italy secured the lead in Pool D with its second consecutive victory, a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 28-26) sweep against Ukraine. Tomasso Barotto (18 points), Lorenzo Magliano (13 points), and Manuel Zlatanov (11 points) spearheaded Italy`s offense, while middle blocker Pardo Mati`s six blocks anchored their defense. Ukraine`s Oleksandr Boiko scored 12 points.

France Defeats Argentina

France also maintained an unbeaten record, defeating Argentina 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19). Adrien Roure and Thomas Pujol each scored 15 points, supported by Amir Tizi-Oualou (11 points, with four blocks and three aces). Argentina`s Fausto Diaz led all scorers with 20 points, but their 34 errors proved costly compared to France’s 25.

Indonesia Earns First Win Against Tunisia

Elsewhere, Indonesia claimed its first victory with a 3-1 win over Tunisia, highlighted by Muhammad Haikal Hidayatullah`s 25 points (including 22 attacks) and strong contributions from Dawuda Alaihimas Salam (12 points) and Darda Mulya Muhammad (10 points). Adem Ben Messaoud led Tunisia with 15 points, one of three players in double figures for their team.