At 40 years old, Gyorgy Grozer is proving age is just a number.
The German opposite spiker carried his team on Monday, firing 19 points to guide Germany past Chile, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21, in Pool E action of the FIVB Volleyball World Championship at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Rebounding from a shocking loss to Bulgaria on Saturday, Germany found its rhythm behind their veteran captain.
Grozer delivered 17 kills, one ace, and a block, while Erik Rohrs came up clutch with 13 points, including three straight kills in the tense third set when Chile trimmed the deficit to 22-21.
Anton Brehme added 10 points, with Tobias Krick and Moritz Reichert contributing seven apiece.
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“Today was better than against Bulgaria,” said Grozer. “Chile may not be a top team, but they fought hard. We still have room to improve, and we hope to show our best against Slovenia.”
Chile, meanwhile, struggled to match Germany’s firepower despite Vicente Parraguirre’s 14 points and Noe Aravena’s 11.
With a 0-2 record, the South Americans are out of contention but will face Bulgaria on Wednesday.
Assistant coach Paweł Rusek praised Chile’s fight and highlighted the challenge ahead.
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“It’s a tough World Championship. Slovenia is a team with a strong volleyball culture, consistently in Finals and Final Fours. It’s going to be a great and important match for us, and we are thrilled to prepare,” he said.
Germany now improves to 1-1 and will look to build on Monday’s momentum when they clash with Slovenia on Wednesday at 9:00 PM, a game that could determine their fate in the group stage.
