Czechia Achieves Historic Quarterfinal Berth at FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship After Sweeping Tunisia

Published on September 23, 2025

Czechia Makes History with Quarterfinal Qualification

The Czech men`s national volleyball team has achieved a historic milestone, reaching the quarterfinals of the FIVB Men`s World Championship for the very first time in the nation`s history. This remarkable accomplishment surpasses the previous record of their predecessors, Czechoslovakia, who last advanced to the top eight teams 39 years ago, in 1986. In a compelling eighthfinal match held in Pasay City, Philippines, as part of the Philippines 2025 tournament, Czechia delivered a decisive straight-sets victory over Tunisia. This win secures their place in the quarterfinal round, where they are scheduled to compete on Thursday against either Serbia or Iran. The identity of their next opponent will be determined later on Tuesday, when Serbia and Iran face off for the final quarterfinal slot.

Match Dynamics: A Resounding Sweep

Czechia demonstrated superior play throughout the encounter. They dominated Tunisia in the first set, maintaining solid control of the scoreboard. Outside hitter Lukas Vasina was instrumental, earning and converting the set point to conclude the set with a six-point advantage. Their strong performance continued into the second set, which they claimed with a seven-point lead, effectively doubling their overall advantage. The third set presented a different challenge. Tunisia elevated their service game, initiating a 4-0 run and extending their lead to seven points. However, a resilient Czech team, fueled by the efforts of Jan Galabov, staged a spirited comeback, ultimately clinching the match with a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-18, 25-23).

Key Performers and Statistics

Czechia outperformed Tunisia across all three primary scoring categories: achieving 42-32 in spike kills, 8-4 in serving aces, and 4-2 in kill blocks. Opposite hitter Patrik Indra led the offensive charge, contributing 13 points from spikes with an impressive 57% success rate, including the decisive match-winning point. He also added one ace, accumulating a total of 14 points, making him the highest scorer of the match. Outside hitter Jan Galabov, who sparked Czechia`s comeback in the third set with a remarkable sequence of seven consecutive serves, recorded one ace and 12 attack points at a 55% success rate, finishing with 13 points. His fellow outside hitter, Lukas Vasina, also tallied 13 points, delivering two aces and maintaining a 52% success rate in offense.

“It`s something incredible! I think we are currently writing Czech volleyball`s history. We can say that dreams come true. We made our pretty hard way to the quarterfinals and we can be really proud of ourselves, but we are not finished yet. There are still more games ahead of us. I think we will continue to show the same performance,” Jan Galabov commented.

“In the first two sets, we had the game under control, but then we probably lost a little bit of focus at the beginning, while Tunisia served pretty well, but hey, we came back. We turned the set around in our favor and it shows our team spirit. We really wanted to fight for every set and, in the end, we made it 3-0 for us, which was really positive.”

Tunisia`s Perspective on the Tournament

Tunisia committed slightly fewer unforced errors than Czechia, with a count of 21-22. Two of their players, 22-year-old outside hitter Oussama Ben Romdhane (who had a 63% attack success rate) and opposite Ali Bongui, each reached double-digit scores with 10 points, all derived from attacks.

“From the beginning our objective here, in the Philippines, was to qualify for the second round. All the guys must be proud of what we did,” stated Tunisia’s setter and captain Khaled Ben Slimene.

“Today we tried, but we faced a strong team. We will come back next time and we will aim higher. It was a difficult tournament and all players had to apply all their power and all their capacity to be on a high level. We are at the World Championship and we must be proud and enjoy the moment.”