Poland Stretch Perfect Run with Third Sweep at U21 World Championship

In Pool B, Poland achieved their third successive sweep, beating Canada 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-20). Canada mounted a strong challenge in the first set, pushing Poland to a tight 26-24 victory. However, after overcoming this initial hurdle, the Europeans refined their play, winning the subsequent two sets with greater ease.

Poland`s scoring was well-distributed, with Wojciech Gajek leading with 11 points (10 attacks, 1 block). Canada`s Felix-Antoine Perron also scored 11 points, but his team struggled to provide consistent support, failing to disrupt Poland`s momentum.

Despite Canada holding marginal advantages in attacks (33-32), blocks (6-5), and aces (3-2), Poland`s discipline, committing only 21 errors, was crucial in securing their third straight set-less victory.

Iran maintained their undefeated status in Pool B, overcoming Korea in a thrilling five-set match, 3-2 (31-33, 25-15, 25-22, 22-25, 15-12). Korea took an extended first set 33-31, but Iran quickly rebounded, winning the next two. Korea then claimed the fourth set, pushing the match to a decisive fifth.

Ali Mombeni was the top scorer for Iran with 34 points (31 attacks, 3 blocks). Seyed Matin Hosseini Tolouti added 19 points (13 attacks, 5 blocks, 1 ace), and Taha Behboudnia contributed 16 points (10 attacks, 6 blocks). For Korea, Lee Woojin led with 16 points, supported by Yun Seojin and Yun Gyeong (15 points each), and Lim Ingyu (13 points).

In the final set, Iran established an early 8-5 lead and managed to hold on, fending off Korea`s late surge to 13-12, ultimately securing the victory with the last two points.

Host nation China dominated Pool A, securing their top position with a convincing 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) win against Thailand. Fueled by the home crowd in Jiangmen, China quickly set the pace and never allowed Thailand to gain momentum, advancing to a 3-0 record and maintaining control of their pool.

China showcased dominance in all aspects of the game, tallying 47 kills, 5 aces, and 10 blocks, even with 16 errors. Outside hitter Li Hai led the offensive charge with 16 points. Zhang Zhiqiang added 14 points (12 attacks, 2 blocks), while middle blocker Wang Bohan scored 11. Shi Taier was a defensive anchor with 6 blocks among his 10 points. Thailand`s captain, Kittipong Sangsak, was his team`s top scorer with 9 points.

The United States also remained undefeated in Pool A, defeating Egypt in a grueling five-set match, 3-2 (26-24, 31-33, 37-35, 23-25, 15-10). Both teams displayed strong offense, with the Americans recording 78 kills to Egypt`s 61. Riggs Guy topped the USA`s score sheet with 26 points (23 attacks, 2 blocks, 1 ace). Sebastiano Sani contributed 19 points, Kyler Wade 16, Trevell Jordan 15, and Micah Cleveland Goss 10.

Egypt also featured multiple double-digit scorers, led by Mahmoud Abdelbaki (Houda) with an impressive 31 points (28 attacks, 1 block, 2 aces). Hamza Awad added 17, Ahmed Salama 14, and Ibrahim Abdelmaksood 12. After exchanging the first four sets, including a 33-31 victory for Egypt in the second and a marathon 37-35 win for the USA in the third, the Americans found their rhythm in the decider, pulling ahead midway through to close it 15-10, securing their third consecutive win.

In Pool C, Czechia achieved their third victory with a 3-0 sweep against Brazil (25-21, 25-20, 25-23). The Europeans controlled the game through strong attacking (42 kills), blocking (9), and serving (4 aces), maintaining composure even during Brazil`s strongest push in the third set.

Thomas Brichta led Czechia with 16 points, supported by Stepan Svoboda and Matej Pastrnak, who each contributed 10 points. Felipe Parra Albuquerque was Brazil`s sole player to reach double digits with 10 points, as the Czech defense effectively neutralized their other attackers.

Japan also kept their perfect record in Pool C intact, defeating Cuba 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-8). Cuba offered resistance in the first set, but Japan`s consistent pace and effective serving took control, decisively shifting the match in their favor in the subsequent sets.

For Cuba, Daniel Guillermo Martinez Campos was a key player early on, scoring 9 of his 17 points in the first set and 7 in the second before being substituted. Japan showcased a balanced attack, with Takuma Kawano and Shunta Ono each scoring 16 points; Kawano added 3 blocks, while Ono delivered 6 aces. Kai Yamamoto contributed 13 points and Yuzuki Akimoto 11.

In a highly anticipated Pool D match, Italy narrowly defeated France 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23). The sets were tightly contested, but Italy consistently secured critical late points, maintaining their undefeated 3-0 record in the group.

Manuel Zlatanov and Pardo Mati led Italy with 17 points apiece, with notable contributions from Tomasso Barotto and Lorenzo Magliano. France also had four players in double figures – Thomas Pujol, Adrien Roure, Andrej Jokanovic, and Daniel Iyegbekedo – but Italy`s superior finishing in the final two sets clinched the match.