Turkey may have already made history by reaching its first-ever quarterfinal in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, but for star spiker Adis Lagumdzija, this milestone is just the beginning — with sights now firmly set on going all the way.
Lagumdzija delivered his standout performance on Saturday night, powering Turkey to an unbeaten run into the quarterfinals at the expense of a resilient Netherlands side, 27-29, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“I mean we made history today by beating the Netherlands and going to the quarterfinals. This was our target of the summer. I mean, we were working for four months like every other team, but we were working hard, and hard work pays off,” said the three-time European League champion.
Having won their first four games of the tournament — including dominant sweeps over Japan and Canada before taking down the Netherlands — Lagumdzija believes momentum is firmly on their side, giving Turkey the confidence to dream even bigger as they step into uncharted territory.
“I mean, we have really big momentum now. We know it’s going to be really difficult to go to the semifinals because this is the World Championship,” said the 26-year-old opposite spiker.
The road ahead will be a tough test, though. Turkey will face either World No. 1 Poland or a determined Canada side seeking revenge after a pool-stage sweep in the quarterfinals.
Still, Lagumdzija believes Turkey belongs in the same elite tier as their next opponents — and that confidence will be key in their upcoming clash.
“But we have nothing to lose. We’re going to do our best because now, whoever goes to the next stage is one of the best eight teams in the world. We’re one of those teams, and we want to show that in the next game,” said the Fenerbahçe star.
“In the next game, whatever happens, we’re going to do our best and try to make it to the semifinals.”
