The hard-fought victory keeps both Germany`s and USA`s hopes for VNL Finals qualification alive.
Veteran German opposite Gyorgy Grozer, aged 40, made his highly anticipated first appearance in this year`s men`s Volleyball Nations League. His presence helped lead Germany to a hard-fought five-set victory against the USA on Saturday in Chiba, Japan, before a crowd exceeding five thousand spectators. This crucial win propelled Germany to 10th position in the VNL standings with a 5-6 record and 17 points, maintaining their theoretical qualification chances for the Finals. The USA, positioned just above them in ninth place with a 6-5 record and 17 points, also remain contenders for a quarterfinal berth.
In a truly captivating and unpredictable match, Germany ultimately prevailed with a 3-2 victory over the USA, with set scores of 25-22, 22-25, 17-25, 25-15, and 15-12. The German offensive effort was notably balanced, with three players — outside hitter Erik Rohrs (contributing two aces and two blocks), middle blocker Tobias Krick (one ace, two blocks), and opposite Yann Bohme (two aces) — each scoring 14 points. Krick was particularly effective in attack, boasting an impressive 85% success rate, and crucially secured the decisive point in the fifth set. Although Gyorgy Grozer started the match, he did not play its entirety, concluding his performance with 4 points, including one ace.
“This victory was extremely important for our team,” Grozer stated. “In recent matches, we hadn`t been playing to our full potential. Today, we aimed to demonstrate the quality of the German team from previous seasons. I`m immensely proud of the entire squad, especially the younger players who are new to this level; they delivered an amazing performance. I believe continuing to build on this is crucial for our success.” Reflecting on his personal game, Grozer added, “I`m still getting back into form after my holidays and limited practice, so it`s not entirely easy. However, I`m glad I could be on the court, especially when we clinched the first set. My primary role is to re-ignite the passion within my teammates, and I feel we accomplished that effectively today.”
For the USA team, opposite Kyle Hobus was the top scorer of the match, accumulating 18 points. Outside hitter Ethan Champlin contributed 14 points, and his teammate Nolan Flexen added 12 points, notably delivering three aces.
Following this match, Saturday`s VNL schedule continues with Serbia facing Canada in Ljubljana at 16:30 local time (14:30 UTC), and Bulgaria challenging host nation Poland in Gdansk at 17:00 local time (15:00 UTC).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick