VNL 2024: Japan down Cuba in a thrilling tie break! France, Poland, Italy and Brazil ok

In third day of 2024 Volleyball Nations League, Japan and Cuba faced off in a thrilling clash in Rio de Janeiro, with Japan emerging victorious after more than two hours of intense play!
Despite missing both star outside hitters Yuki Ishikawa and Ran Takahashi, the winners managed to beat Cuba at tie break (18:25, 25:22, 25:23, 19:25, 22:20) after a game that was was a rollercoaster, with Cuba leading early and Japan able to force a tie-break. Cuba nearly clinched it with a 14-11 lead, but Japan’s Yuji Nishida sealed the win after denying as many as 9 match points!
Japan’s heavily rotated roster saw five players score in double digits, including top scorers Shoma Tomita (13) and Tatsunori Otsuka (11), while Cuba’s most prolific players were Miguel Ángel López (25) and Marlon Yant (17). Despite Cuba’s dominance in kills (69-56) and blocks (20-8), their 39 errors were fatal.
On the same Pool, Italy secured a 3-0 victory against Iran (25:19, 25:18, 25:11) in their second match in Brazil. Despite initial challenges in the first set, the winners quickly took control, showcasing strong defensive skills with 13 blocks against the Iranian offense, led by Yuri Romanò, top scorer with 18 points.
This win adds 3.13 points to Italy’s ranking, maintaining their fourth place behind Japan, and they are set to face Japan in their next clash. The teams have a long history, with Italy winning 40 of their 63 encounters, and the last match between the two was at the last VNL Finals, where Japan claimed the bronze by defeating Italy at tiebreak.
3 points also for Pool hosts Brazil, who down Serbia with the score of 1-3 (21:25, 20:25, 25:22, 22:25).
In Antalya, Türkiye, three teams celebrated wins in straight sets: Canada sweep Bulgaria in a hard-fought 0-3 (22:25, 28:30, 24:26), France destroy USA 3-0 (25:22, 25:21, 25:21) and Poland down The Netherlands, 0-3 (28:30, 23:25, 18:25).

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🏐| FIVB VOLLEYBALL NATIONS LEAGUE 2024 | Friday| May 24, 2024

| Pool 1 – Week 1 – Antalya 🇹🇷
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Canada 0-3 (22:25, 28:30, 24:26)
• 17.00 (Local Time) | France – USA 3-0 (25:22, 25:21, 25:21)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Poland 0-3 (28:30, 23:25, 18:25)

| Pool 2 – Week 1 – Rio De Janeiro 🇧🇷
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Cuba – Japan 2-3 (25:18, 22:25, 23:25, 25:19, 20:22)
• 17.30 (Local Time) | Iran – Italy 0-3 (19:25, 18:25, 11:25)
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Serbia – Brazil 1-3 (21:25, 20:25, 25:22, 22:25)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Poland 9
2. Japan 8
3. Cuba 7
4. Italy 6
5. France 6
6. Canada 6
7. Slovenia 5
8. Brazil 5
9. The Netherlands 3
10. Serbia 3
11. Türkiye 1
12. Argentina 1
13. Germany 0
14. Iran 0
15. Bulgaria 0
16. USA 0

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🏐| NEXT GAMES | Saturday | May 25, 2024

| Pool 1 – Week 1 – Antalya 🇹🇷
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Canada
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Türkiye – France
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – USA

| Pool 2 – Week 1 – Rio De Janeiro 🇧🇷
• 14.00 (Local Time) | Japan – Italy
• 17.30 (Local Time) | Argentina – Germany
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Cuba – Iran

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