Mediterranean Games (Men’s Volleyball): On to the Quarterfinal Round

2018 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES (INDOOR MEN’S VOLLEYBALL):

• Tarragona, Spain
• June 22-July 1, 2018

The Mediterranean Games, a collection of nations to compete in a myriad of sports including volleyball, is starting in 2018 as opposed to its normal four-year cycle of 2009, 2013, 2017 after the host needed to push it back a tad. For men’s volleyball, pool play has now come to a close as we get ready to move on to the elimination round to determine the champion.

In total, there are four different pools, each consisting of a trio of teams. Following a quick round-robin, the lowest ranked team in each pool is eliminated with the top two moving on to the quarterfinals. On the men’s side, those quarterfinals occur on June 27 with the semifinals on June 29.

POOL RESULTS:

Group A:

The Italians dominated Group A, winning all six sets of action over the competition. What makes it even more amazing is that the ‘A’ team for the Italians just wrapped up their Volleyball Nations League campaign, so this wasn’t their top unit. Greece meanwhile won the battle for second by sweeping Portugal.

The results send the 2013 Mediterranean Games men’s volleyball champions (Italy) to the quarterfinals to take on Group B runner-ups (Croatia) with Greece getting the Group B winner (France). After a last place finish, Portugal is eliminated.

Schedule:

Group B:

After earning a third-place finish in the 2013 edition of the games, France looks ready for another top three finish after downing both of their group mates. Just like Italy, France is also in the Volleyball Nations League where they actually just wrapped up pool play in first place. That means this is the secondary unit of the team, but they were able to top Croatia and Algeria. Speaking of the two, Croatia just made it by Algeria in five to earn their quarterfinal bid.

On to that quarterfinal round, France gets Group A runner-up Greece while Croatia has to go up against the defending tournament champions in Italy. Algeria’s tournament is no more.

Schedule:

Group C:

In the end, the opening match in the group between Egypt and Macedonia ended up determining who would make the quarterfinals as the runner up. That’s because Spain won the other two matches as they start their campaign to try and win the tournament for the first time since 1987 – with three runner-up finishes since in 1993, 2005 and 2009.

It’s now on to the next round in the quarterfinals for Spain and Egypt, as the Spaniards will take on Group D runner-up Tunisia and Egypt gets that same groups’ victor in Turkey. Macedonia on the other hand has their tournament come to its close.

Schedule:

Group D:

In the group of red national flags, it was the two teams that earned top four finishes in 2013 that will move on. The Turkish side collected a fourth place ending in 2013 while Tunisia was second, but in this meeting Turkey proved to be the better side with a tight five-set victory. Of course, by that point each side had already locked up a quarterfinals appearance after wins over Albania.

That sends Albania home from the tournament, while Turkey gets Group C runner-up Egypt. For Tunisia, they get the Group C winner in Spain with a shot at the semifinals on the line.

Schedule:

QUARTERFINALS SCHEDULE:

June 28:

• 10:00 – Italy vs. Croatia
• 13:00 – France vs. Greece
• 16:00 – Turkey vs. Egypt
• 19:00 – Spain vs. Tunisia

The semifinals will then take place the next day on June 29 along with the 5th-8th place classification semifinal matches.