Slovenia and Cuba, both beneficiaries of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program, have successfully clinched their places among the seven teams advancing to Ningbo, China, for the men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals. They will join the host nation China, along with Brazil, Italy, France, Japan, and Poland in the upcoming quarter-final stage.
FIVB Empowerment Initiative: Fueling Success
The Volleyball Federation of Slovenia has received substantial backing through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program, with a total of USD 714,000 allocated for their men’s national volleyball team coach support. The team is currently guided by Italian coach Fabio Soli. Likewise, the Federacion Cubana de Voleibol has also benefited from this crucial funding, receiving USD 35,000 to support their men’s national team head coach, Jesus Cruz.
A Dramatic Dash to Qualification
The final week of the Preliminary Phase was marked by an intense scramble for the remaining quarter-final berths. Even on the eve of Sunday’s concluding day, three spots were still up for grabs, with a competitive field of eight teams vying for them. Ultimately, Slovenia and Cuba emerged triumphant, securing the last two tickets to Ningbo. The suspense for Slovenia endured until the very last whistle of a thrilling tie-breaker set in their decisive match against Serbia in Ljubljana.
Propelled by their star outside hitter Rok Mozic, Slovenia managed a nail-biting 3-2 victory (25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 17-15) in this all-European clash, delighting their home crowd with a spot in the Finals. Had Serbia won that tie-breaker, Iran would have secured the qualification instead. In their hosted VNL pool in Ljubljana, Slovenia commenced with three-point victories over Canada and the Netherlands before being swept by Italy, leading to their final match against Serbia with an uncertain future.
Slovenia, in fact, enjoyed a stroke of luck earlier on Sunday, as four other contenders for quarter-final spots who were ahead of them in the standings lost their respective matches sequentially, paving the way for Slovenia’s advancement. Cuba was one of those teams. They began their week in Gdansk impressively, overcoming Bulgaria in five sets and upsetting hosts Poland in four. They also pushed defending VNL titleholders and reigning Olympic champions France to five sets before succumbing in the tie-breaker. A victory over China on Sunday would have guaranteed their Finals spot. However, they faced another five-set battle and lost, keeping the suspense alive. Fortuitously for Cuba, Ukraine and Bulgaria also lost their crucial games on Sunday (to Canada and Iran, respectively), which kept Cuba above the qualification cut-off for Ningbo.
Final Standings and Player Highlights
Slovenia concluded the Preliminary Phase in sixth place with a 7-5 win-loss record and 19 points. Cuba finished seventh with a 6-6 record and 20 points. Cuba’s outside hitter Marlon Yant emerged as the best scorer of the Preliminary Phase, leading the chart by 12 points, with an impressive total of 237 putaways, comprising 200 spike kills, 22 kill blocks, and 15 serving aces.
Brazil was the first team to secure their trip to Ningbo, topping the table with an 11-1 record and 32 points. They were followed by Italy (10-2, 28 pts), France (8-4, 24 pts), Japan (8-4, 23 pts), and Poland (8-4, 23 pts). Despite finishing second from the bottom, in 17th place with a 3-9 record and 9 points, China will participate in the quarter-finals as the host nation.
Conversely, the Netherlands ended up at the bottom of the table with a 1-11 record and 5 points, consequently losing their right to compete in the VNL next season.
VNL Finals Schedule
The VNL Finals in Ningbo are scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 3. The quarter-final matchups are set as follows:
- Brazil vs. China
- Italy vs. Cuba
- France vs. Slovenia
- Japan vs. Poland
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood