Türkiye held off a furious late charge from Canada to sweep 25-21, 25-16, 27-25 and claim the top seed in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, Wednesday at the Smart Aranet Coliseum.
The World No. 16 squad powered through the opening set with clinical precision, before bulldozing their way in the second. They then fended off Canada’s desperate rally in the third to finish the group stage with a flawless 3-0 record, dropping only a single set along the way.
Adis Lagumdzija spearheaded Türkiye’s attack with 15 points. Meanwhile, Efe Mandiraci contributed 12 markers, combining for the offensive firepower that kept the Canadians at bay.
Türkiye will now face the loser of the Pool B top-seed battle between Poland and the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
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Canada, despite the loss, secured second place in Pool G with a 2-1 mark and will take on the winner of that Pool B clash.
“We came here to compete. I think we showed that. We showed that we can compete with the best teams. We knew that already, and this is the confirmation of it,” said Lagumdzija, reflecting on Türkiye’s dominant pool-stage run, which included wins over higher-ranked Japan and Libya.
Türkiye survived a third-set scare at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where Canada breathed life into its top-seed hopes.
Captain Nicholas Hoag powered a 6-1 run that erased a 15-20 deficit and evened the score at 21-all. Both sides traded blows before Hoag’s back-row attack put Canada at set point, 24-23.
But Türkiye refused to crumble. Xander Ketrzynski’s service error tied the set at 24, and Bedirhan Bülbül’s emphatic block on Sharone Vernon-Evans gave Türkiye the lead.
Mirza Lagumdzija’s service error forced another deuce, yet Bülbül and Mandiraci delivered a swift attack and off-the-block finish to seal the victory after an hour and 17 minutes of high-stakes volleyball.
“There’s no team that can beat us in our minds. We just need to push. We play physical volleyball. When we defend and block like we did today, there’s no team that we cannot beat,” Lagumdzija added.
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Bülbül finished with nine points, including four kills, three blocks, and an ace, while Mirza Lagumdzija also had nine points on seven attacks and two rejections.
Canada’s first loss came despite Hoag, Vernon-Evans, and Fynn McCarthy each registering nine points.
#WATCH: Canadian middle blocker Fynn McCarthy is ready to face his Polish club teammates if Poland beats the Netherlands and sets up a #MWCH2025 Round of 16 clash with Canada! 🇨🇦🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/frLT3PvrY6
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 17, 2025
