Efe Mandiraci`s dominant serving fuels Turkey`s surprising straight-sets victory.
Published September 13, 2025
Efe Mandiraci delivering a serve during Turkey`s victory over Japan at the Men’s Volleyball World Championship.
In a remarkable start to the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines, Turkey delivered a stunning straight-sets defeat to Japan. The Pool G encounter took place on Saturday in Quezon City.
Unranked as high as their opponents, world number 16 Turkey achieved an impressive 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-19) upset against Japan, the world`s fifth-ranked team. This victory marks Turkey`s first triumph over Japan since 2016.
The European squad showcased superior performance across all key scoring metrics: a commanding 7-1 lead in aces, an 8-6 advantage in block kills, a 37-33 edge in spike kills, and fewer unforced errors (21-23). Outside hitter Efe Mandiraci was a pivotal player, contributing five of Turkey’s seven aces, one of which sealed match point in the third set. He also recorded two block kills, accumulating a match-high 17 points. Opposite hitter Adis Lagumdzija added 15 points, including the winning point, alongside three block kills and an ace.
“It`s incredible! The atmosphere felt like a Japanese home game due to their many fans. Despite the crowd being against us, achieving a 3-0 win against such a formidable team is a significant accomplishment and a promising start to the World Championship,” Adis Lagumdzija shared. “We are a powerful team, and when our receiving and serving are as strong as they were today, we believe we can overcome any opponent. We proved that. Our primary goal is to top our group, which would be a massive advantage, helping us avoid a potential matchup with Poland in the eighth-finals. We`ll celebrate tonight, but tomorrow our focus shifts to preparing for the next match.”
For Japan, star opposite Kento Miyaura led with 13 points, including an ace and a block kill. Captain and outside hitter Yuki Ishikawa contributed 10 points, all from successful attacks.
Looking ahead in Pool G, Turkey is set to compete against Libya, while Japan will face Canada on Monday, September 15.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick