World No. 14 Turkey shrugged off a narrow opening-set loss to rally past No. 20 Netherlands, 27-29, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19, and secure its first-ever quarterfinal appearance at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The match was defined by a thrilling duel between Turkey’s Adis Lagumdzija and the Netherlands’ Michiel Ahyi, keeping the first two sets razor-close.
Lagumdzija then exploded for nine points in the third set, giving Turkey the separation it needed — a momentum that carried seamlessly into the fourth.
Lagumdzija teamed up with Efe Mandiraci, who contributed three service aces, to ignite a blistering 4-0 start that quickly became an 8-3 lead — a gap the Dutch spikers could not close.
Turkey, which finished 11th in the previous edition, is now guaranteed a top-eight finish and will face the winner of the Poland–Canada Round of 16 matchup in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, failed to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive tournament.
