UNIVERSIADE: Brazil and defending champs Iran out of tournament. Four team undefeated.

Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

Four national teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the Volleyball tournament in the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, as undefeated after the pool stage: these are Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, and Italy.
They finished the pool stage with a perfect 4-0 record and will play the quarterfinals as pool leaders, which means that they will face second-placed sides.
The defending champions Iran are out of the tournament because they were last placed in Pool C with all 4 defeats.
The final will be played on July 13.

Patrik Indra played a great match for Czech Republic in a 3-1 (22:25, 25:19, 25:18, 25:19) victory over Hong Kong in Pool A with 26 points. The team ended at the top of the pool with a 4-0 record and 12 points, while Chinese Taipei downed Chile in four sets to claim the second place in the pool (3-1 and 8 points) and eliminated the same Chile and Ukraine as well from the contention for the quarterfinals. Taipei’s captain Tsung-Hsuan Wu was the top scorer of match 25 points.

In Pool B, Russia secured first place and a spot in quarterfinals already in the penultimate round (4-0 and 12 points), while Portugal defeat USA in straight sets (25:19, 33:31, 25:21), thanks to 18 points from Bruno Cunha, and ended with a 3-1 record and 9 points. Even 21 points from Jaylen Jasper did not help Americans, who ended only in third place with a 2-2 record and 4 points.

In Pool C Poland and France also had a quarterfinal ticket: Poland as the pool leaders with a 4-0 record and 12 points, France as the second-placed with a 3-1 record and 8 points.

By beating Mexico in straight sets, 25:20, 25:16, and 25:19, Italy claimed first place in Pool D with a 4-0 and 11 points. As much as three players shared the top scorer’s title for the winning side, all making 10 points: the captain Fabio Ricci, Giacomo Raffaelli, and Alberto Polo (including 5 kill blocks). José Luis Rubio scored 15 points for Mexico. Japan swept Argentina in straight sets, sending the South Americans out to the third place and earning a spot in the final eight. Kento Miyaura was the top scorer with 18 points, while Yuki Higuchi added 4 winning blocks. Felipe Benavídez scored 12 points for Argentina.

Volleyball tournament in the 2019 Summer Universiade, Day 4:

POOL A

Ukraine – Chile 3-2 (21:25, 25:22, 25:23, 20:25, 15:11)
Czech Republic – Hong Kong 3-1 (22:25, 25:19, 25:18, 25:19)

POOL B

South Korea – China 3-0 (25:23, 25:19, 31:29)
Portugal – USA 3-0 (25:19, 33:31, 25:21)

POOL C

Poland – Canada 3-0 (25:20, 25:16, 25:18)
Iran – Brazil 0-3 (18:25, 21:25, 18:25)

POOL D

Argentina – Japan 0-3 (20:25, 23:25, 18:25)
Italy – Mexico 3-0 (25:20, 25:16, 25:19)

Quarterfinals – July 11:

Russia – Japan (12:00 C.E.T.)
Poland – Chinese Taipei (14:30 C.E.T.)
Czech Republic – France (17:30 C.E.T.)
Italy – Portugal (20:00 C.E.T.)

Photo Facebook – Český volejbalový univerzitní tým 2019