Iran showcased their resilience for the second consecutive game, securing another five-set victory — this time against higher-ranked Serbia — to claim a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
The Iranians became the last Asian team remaining in the tournament after narrowly outlasting hosts Philippines in their final pool-phase game last Thursday, 21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20, to advance to the Round of 16.
While being pushed to the limit might worry some teams, Iran head coach Roberto Piazza saw it as an opportunity for his squad to prove themselves.
“Worried? No. I remember one player said to me in the game against Philippines, ‘Coach, don’t be worried.’ I was never worried in my life. We prepared the team and all coaches to arrive at this level — to be able to play three games in a row. This is the mindset that we use in the tournament,” Piazza said after Iran’s 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9 win over Serbia on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“These five-setters are the experiences we need to learn on the court. We have 11 players who are completely new, and until now, they are still not able to fully understand my language in volleyball — that’s why I’m a little disappointed in them,” he added.
Piazza’s disappointment stemmed from his belief that the World No. 16 Iranians are capable of performing at a higher level than they have shown so far in the 32-nation tournament.
Even after the brief celebration following the Serbia match, Piazza’s focus immediately turned to what’s next — a clash with Czechia on Thursday, with a semifinals berth at stake.
“Sorry, I already stopped celebrating. My players need to stop immediately, too, because our next opponent played earlier at 3:30 [PM]. Their game was not as long as ours, so we have less time to recover, and we have to use our minds for everything,” said Piazza, who was appointed Iran head coach in January.
Czechia, meanwhile, is on track for its best-ever finish at the World Championship since becoming an independent nation, already assured of at least eighth place.
Their previous highest finish was 10th in 2010.
The Czechs swept Tunisia in their Round of 16 matchup earlier in the day, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23, highlighted by a come-from-behind victory in the third set.
#WATCH: Iran head coach Roberto Piazza celebrates their second straight five-set thriller, proving they can fight until the very end 🇮🇷🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/yhtMFZnxxS
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times#MWCH2025 pic.twitter.com/OVoSWdq695
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 23, 2025
