In the second week of the men's qualifying round for the Volleyball Nations League 2025 (Bulgaria), the Japanese national team faced Slovenia on Sunday 29 June local time and won 3-0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-16).
Starting Lineup
Japan
OH Otsuka (15), MB Rally (4), OP Miyaura (17), OH Tomita (13), MB Sato (7), S Nagatsuyu (2), L Ogawa
Substitutes: OH Yamazaki (1), OH Goto
Slovenia
MB Štarekar (5), OP Mujanović (16), OH Bračko (1), MB Kozamelnik (6), S Praninšić (1), OH Možić (7), L Kovacic
Substitutes: T. Stern (3), OH. Marovt (2), S. Vincic, MB. Krusic (1), OH. Sen (1).
Battle Review
First set: Final attack mistake decides the match
In the early stages, Japan made multiple breaks, including a score from MB Sato's serve by OP Miyaura, and took a 7-3 lead. From there, Slovenia closed the gap to 15-14 with blocks from MB Štarekar and others, but Japan again widened the gap to 23-19 with spikes and service aces from OH Tomita. From there, Slovenia reversed the score to 23-22 with blocks from MB Štarekar, and then with an ace from S Praninšić and a spike from OP Mujanović, Slovenia took the set point at 24-25. However, OP Mujanović made two consecutive attack errors in the end, and Japan took the set 27-25.
2nd set: Japan played a perfect game with 7 points from OP Miyaura
Slovenia took the lead 1-3 with a spike from OH Mojic, but Japan quickly turned the game around with a service ace from OP Miyaura and a 5-4 lead. Furthermore, Japan scored four consecutive breaks with a service ace from MB Sato's serve and a block from S Nagatsuyu, greatly widening the gap to 12-6. Japan's momentum continued after that, with OP Miyaura, OH Otsuka, OH Tomita and others scoring points to make it 23-13 and 10 points. Japan took the set with a final spike from OP Miyaura, 25-15.
Third set: Slovenia overcome with decisive attacks
Slovenia started with Mujanovic as the overback and also started three new players from the start.
From the beginning, Slovenia made a series of mistakes, giving Japan a 3-0 lead. OP Miyaura's spike and MB Sato's service ace further increased the lead to 11-5. From there, Slovenia pursued with a block and a service ace from MB Kozamelnik to 15-12, but OH Otsuka's spike, OH Tomita's service ace, and Slovenia's attack mistakes led to five consecutive breaks, giving Japan a large lead of 21-12. Japan closed the set with an OP Otsuka spike, winning 25-16 and winning 3-0.
Match stats▼
https://vnlm.volleystation.com/en/matches/2227662/
personal MVP
L Tomohiro Ogawa
Serve reception success rate 571 TP 3T, dig 6
He was the one who made the Slovenian attackers dysfunctional with his incredible defensive power. His reception against line (straight) spikes was particularly impressive. His serve reception and set as the second setter were also very stable. A libero who dominated the game.
OP Nik Mujanovic
16 points (attack 15, block 1), attack efficiency 291 TP 3T
While the other side attackers were not performing well, the opposite continued to inspire Slovenia as a source of points. His spikes, which were released from his long arms and high jumps, often went over the Japanese block. However, while he often made good plays, he still has a long way to go, making mistakes in attacks at crucial moments. We can expect him to grow even more in the future.
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Qualifying Round Rankings
As of 23:30 on Sunday, June 28
1 Poland 6 wins, 1 loss, 18 points, 20/7 sets
2 Brazil 6 wins, 1 loss, 17 points, 20/7 sets
3 Japan 5 wins, 3 losses, 15 points, 18/11 sets
4 France 5 wins, 3 losses, 15 points, 19/12 sets
5 Italy 5 wins, 2 losses, 14 points, 18/12 sets
6 Ukraine 4 wins, 3 losses, 12 points, 16/13 sets
7 Cuba 4 wins, 3 losses, 12 points, 16/14 sets
8 Iran 4 wins, 4 losses, 12 points, 17/18 sets
9 Bulgaria 4 wins, 3 losses, 11 points, 13/12 sets
10 Argentina 4 wins, 3 losses, 11 points, 14/13 sets
11 Slovenia 4 wins, 4 losses, 11 points, 13/16 sets
12 USA 4 wins, 3 losses, 10 points, 13/14 set
13 Germany 3 wins, 4 losses, 12 points, 16/15 sets
14 Canada 2 wins, 5 losses, 8 points, 12/17 set
15 China 2 wins, 5 losses, 7 points, 8/16 sets
16 Türkiye 2 wins, 6 losses, 6 points, 8/18 sets
17 Netherlands 1 win 7 losses 4 points 9/22 set
18 Serbia 1 win 6 losses 3P 6/19 set
*The host country China and the top seven teams from the preliminary rounds will advance to the final round.
Next race information
July 16th (Wed) 19:20～ vs Germany
How to watch
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Related links
Photo: FIVB
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