The South American squad clinched a dramatic victory following a video challenge in the tie-breaker`s overtime period, concluding their VNL 2025 campaign.
Argentina and Turkiye wrapped up their Men`s Volleyball Nations League 2025 journeys in Chiba, Japan, on Sunday with an intense five-set battle. The Argentine team secured a narrow triumph thanks to a decisive video challenge during the tie-breaker`s extended play. This controversial referee ruling led to prolonged on-court objections from the Turkish side before the match was finally called. Argentina concluded their VNL participation with a 6-6 win-loss record and 16 points, placing them 11th in the provisional VNL standings, awaiting the outcomes of the remaining matches on the final day of the Preliminary Phase. Turkiye finished their campaign in 15th place with a 3-9 record and 10 points.
The match concluded with Argentina winning 3-2, with set scores of 18-25, 25-21, 25-19, 17-25, and a nail-biting 17-15 in the decider. The dramatic final point occurred when Turkish middle blocker Marko Matic`s two-handed overpass kill, initially awarded to Turkiye, was successfully challenged by Argentina for a “reaching beyond the net” fault, bringing an abrupt and dramatic end to the contest.
Opposite hitter Pablo Kukartsev was a standout performer for Argentina, contributing a match-high 29 points to their victory. He also recorded three of his team`s eight aces and two of their seven kill blocks. Outside hitters Luciano Vicentin and Luciano Palonsky also reached double-digit scores with 16 and 12 points, respectively.
“Today we had a good game. I am happy, because I played, and I am happy for the win,” Vicentin shared. “It has been a difficult campaign, but volleyball is the thing I love the most, so I am happy here, I am happy on the court. Sometimes it’s not easy… Tonight we go back to Buenos Aires and we will start preparations for the World Championship.”
For Turkiye, opposite Adis Lagumdzija led their scoring efforts with 23 points, supported by his younger brother Mirza, who added 13. Efe Mandiraci, the other outside hitter, impressed with four of Turkiye`s seven aces, contributing 20 points overall. Middle blocker Bedirhan Bulbul showcased a remarkable 100% success rate in attack and accounted for three of the team’s 11 kill blocks, rounding out his performance with a total of 12 points.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield