VOLLEYBALL – THE semi-final line-up in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup 2025 was completed last night, with defending champions Qatar, Pakistan and South Korea joining hosts Bahrain.
The Qataris survived a tough test against Vietnam in a five-set thriller to march through, while Pakistan outclassed Indonesia in four sets. South Korea were also winners in four sets, beating Australia to advance.
Both games in the last four are scheduled to take place tomorrow at Isa bin Rashid Arena, located at Isa Sports City in Riffa. Qatar will be facing Pakistan and South Korea will be taking on home side Bahrain in a pair of mouth-watering encounters.
Qatar, Pakistan, and South Korea were the podium placers from last year’s edition of this competition, which was also hosted by Bahrain.
Matches today are classification contests in the fifth-to-eighth and ninth-to-11th brackets. They will begin from 2pm onwards. All are welcome to attend, and entrance is free of charge.
Qatar were pushed to the maximum yesterday by a battling Vietnam in a hugely exciting 3-2 (29-31, 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 15-12) triumph.
The Vietnamese stunned their heavily favoured opponents in the first set, but the Qataris rallied back to take the 2-1 advantage. Vietnam then put up another tough stand, sending the game into the tie-break. There, Qatar showed their poise and came away with the crucial points in the end to close the match out and push through to the next stage.
“We expected a tough game,” Qatar head coach Soto Camilo Andres told the GDN. “In 2023, Vietnam won 3-2 against South Korea, and in 2024, they lost 2-3 against Pakistan in the championship that we won.
“We need to learn through suffering to achieve the important things, so this is a good thing for us.”
Outside hitters Youssef Oughlaf, Ribeiro Renan, and Raimi Wadidie were Qatar’s top scorers. Oughlaf had 22 points, Renan scored 19, and Wadidie finished with 18.
For Vietnam, outside hitter Nguyen Van Quoc Duy posted 24 points, while middle blocker The Khai Truong scored 15.
The Vietnamese will next play in the fifth-to-eight classification bracket, which they kick off today against Indonesia.
Of their semi-final against Pakistan, which is a rematch of the gold medal game from last year’s tournament, Andres said: “We know each other, and both teams now are with better experience, especially them.
“We know how to play against them, but it will be tough – point by point, like today, so we need to play good in the critical moments.”
Also yesterday, Pakistan shrugged off an early setback in a come-from-behind 3-1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-17) victory against Indonesia.
The Pakistanis’ blocking was once again a key factor in their win, as they look to improve on their runner-up finish from last year.
Skipper Murad Jehan finished with 20 points to lead the victors, while fellow-outside hitter Usman Faryad Ali added 16. Middle blockers Musawer Khan, Ahmed Nazir, and Abdul Zaheer contributed four, three, and two block points, respectively, in the win.
“It was really a good day for us, especially for the players who came inside and helped the team,” said Pakistan head coach Mohammadirad Rahman. “We played as a team and all our players helped us take the victory.
“The Indonesia team played the first set very well, but in the second we started with better service and made problems for their reception. We had a very good day in service and block, and I think this is the reason for our victory.”
Indonesia’s opposite spiker Rivan Nurmulki had a game-high 22 points, while outside hitter Doni Haryono added 11 for their side. Their match against Vietnam tonight is scheduled for a 7pm start.
South Korea were the first to make it to the semi-finals yesterday following a hard-earned 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 22-25, 25-23) win against Australia.
The South Koreans appeared to be heading towards a sweep but the Australians showed their fighting spirit and roared back in the third to extend the match. They continued to stay narrowly in front in the fourth, but the South Koreans came up with the key plays in the end – none bigger than outside hitter Subong Heo’s go-ahead attack that broke a 23-all deadlock and gave them match point. An ensuing touch out then sealed the win for the South Koreans.
“It was really a high-level match,” said South Korea head coach Issanaye Ramires. “We have to congratulate Australia – they were a really nice team.
“We are proving here that the Asian level can be among the best teams around the world, and I am so happy that we overcame that tough match. It made us more ready for the semi-final for sure.”
Heo was the leading scorer for the victors with 18 points, while opposite spiker Donghyeok Im added 15. Outside hitter Jihan Kim added 11, while middle blocker Sanghyeon Lee had 10, including three block points.
Opposite spiker William D’Arcy-Miles spearheaded Australia with 29 points in defeat, while outside hitter Sam Flowerday chipped in with 23 markers, including five on blocks. The Australians will be back on the court today against Chinese Taipei in the fifth-to-eighth classification bracket. Their game is set for a 4.30pm start.
Also today, Thailand and New Zealand will face off in a ninth-to-11th ranking game.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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