Ukraine kept its Round of 16 hopes alive, finally breaking through with a commanding 25-17, 25-12, 15-11 victory over Algeria in the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
World No.16 Ukraine imposed its will over the 89th-ranked Algerians, using a balanced attack and strong net defense to nail its first win of the preliminary phase and improve to 1-1 in Pool F.
The victory keeps the Europeans in contention for a knockout berth when the round begins on Saturday.
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“This is a very important game for Ukraine because in our last five matches, we have won only one,” said captain and middle blocker Yurii Semeniuk, who tallied 11 points built on seven attacks and three blocks.
“It is very important for me, for my country. Our mentality might be better after the win. Not a good mentality, but I think after this win we will be better.”
Leading the charge was Dymytro Yanchuk, who dropped 18 points off 13 kills, two blocks, and three service aces. Vasyl Tupchii backed him up with 12 markers, while Semeniuk and the rest of the frontline made sure Algeria never found a rhythm.
Ukraine overwhelmed its opponents in every department — outscoring them in attacks (39-20), blocks (13-7), and service aces (9-3) — while also capitalizing on errors (14-10).
“We tried to play a full game and concentrate,” Yanchuk shared. “Coach had good tactics, and we tried to relax and play. The guys today had effective communication, some guys today provided stability. Good tactic and concentration.”
The win was a welcome bounce-back for Ukraine, which fell to Belgium in straight sets on Sunday. But the real test comes Thursday when they battle powerhouse Italy (1-0) at 9:30 PM, still at the Big Dome.
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On the other side, Algeria remained winless at 0-2 and officially out of knockout contention after also losing to Italy in its opener. Sidi Mohamed Dour led the North Africans with nine points, but no one breached double digits.
They will wrap up their campaign against Belgium on Thursday at 2:00 PM.
#WATCH: Dmytro Yanchuk applauds Ukraine as they keep their hopes alive for a Round of 16 spot in #MWCH2025! 🇺🇦🏐
📹 Ernest Tuazon/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/rnpb0t9kHF
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 16, 2025
