Serbia, Brazil Move Into VNL Final Six, Poland/Italy Waiting
Five of the six spots in the Final Six are booked as Brazil and Serbia claimed their tickets to France with wins on Saturday.
Germany Blanks South Korea, Iran Pleases Home Crowd with 3-1 Win
A 10-2 lead in blocks and help from 26 South Korean miscues lifted Germany to a sweep on Saturday. Meanwhile, Iran bested Bulgaria in every way in a four-set win for the home side.
FIVB Men’s Challenger Cup: Czech Republic & Portugal Advance to Finals
Hadrava’s 27 points pushed Czech Republic to the Finals where they will play Portugal for a spot in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League.
Serbia Tops Japan to Make Final Six; Canada Sweeps China
Serbia put up 10 blocks and had help from four double-digit scoring efforts in a four-set win over Japan to secure its spot in the VNL Final Six. Stephen Maar was back on his game for Canada with 16 points to lift his team to a sweep of China.
Brazil Edges Poland, Claims Final Six Spot; Argentina Wins in 4
Five of the six Argentine starters scored in double digits as the team garnered its third win of VNL play against home-standing Australia. Brazil secure its spot in the VNL Final Six with a four-set win over fellow contender Poland with help from a 19-kill effort by Evandro Guerra.
FIVB Women’s Challenger Cup: Bulgaria Wins Pool B; Peru Advances to Semis as Well
Bulgaria won Pool B over Puerto Rico, although both advance, while Peru will join Colombia from Pool A in the semifinals.
Standings Update: France, Russia, USA Are Set for #VNL Final Six
Coming into Friday’s action, the United States needed one point to secure its spot in the VNL Final Six and the Americans got just that with a five-set loss to top seeded France. Russia also earned the right to plan its trip to Lille, France, with a sweep of Italy.
FIVB Men’s Challenger Cup: Portugal Wins Pool A; Cuba Also Clinches Semis Bid
Portugal wrapped up Pool A while Cuba punched a bid to the semifinals as Pool B runner-ups.
Germany Edges Bulgaria in 5; Iran Tops Korea in 4 in Pride Matches
Both teams scored 109 points in the match, but it was Germany that rallied from down 2-1 in the match to steal away the five-set win over Bulgaria. Thirty-five errors were too much for South Korea to overcome in a four-set loss to Iran on Friday.
Serbia, China End Final Six Hope for Canada, Japan with Victories
A sweep at the hands of Serbia eliminated Canada from its outside shot at Final Six contention. Japan also was knocked out of the race as Chuan Jiang carried China to a four-set win over Japan with a 26-point effort.
