Slovenia secured a hard-fought victory over a determined China in four sets, with scores of 25-21, 25-20, 24-26, 25-23, at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Nations League held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Slovenian team improved to a 7-3 win-loss record, bringing them closer to the Final Round alongside Japan, the United States, and host Poland.
The silver medalists of the 2022 Euro Volley tournament displayed excellent passing, allowing them to execute their diverse attacking strategies in the final set. The match concluded with a block from Klemen Čebulj and a service ace from Jan Kozarmenik.
Leading the charge for Slovenia, Čebulj contributed 18 spikes, in addition to the crucial block that secured the match point, and a service ace.
Reflecting on their previous defeat against Poland, the 31-year-old standout shared, “Yesterday was really tough for us. It was not easy to sleep after losing in the tiebreak. But today, what is important is to forget that loss and somehow transform this mindset on the court in today’s game. We are really glad that we won this match so we can focus on the next one.”
The first set witnessed a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, but Slovenia managed to break the 21-all tie with a dominant 4-0 run. China’s outside hitters, Zhang Jingyin and Zhai Dejun, succumbed to hitting errors, sealing their team’s fate.
In the following set, Slovenia once again took an early lead, establishing an 18-12 advantage and securing a solid 2-0 set lead.
However, China displayed resilience and turned the tide in their favor by saving two match points, ultimately winning the set with a 26-24 score. Zhang Jingyin’s off-the-block kill proved instrumental in their comeback.
The Slovenian team then relied on their strong offense to secure the overall victory.
Wing spikers Žtiga Štern and captain Tine Urnaut also made significant contributions to Slovenia’s success, scoring 18 and 13 points, respectively. Štern delivered 17 successful attacks and a service ace, while Urnaut added 13 spike points.
Slovenia’s next crucial challenge will be against Italy on Friday at 3 p.m., where they will vie for one of the remaining spots in the last eight.
For China, Zhang led the scoring with 15 points, consisting of 13 attacks and two blocks, while You Yuantai added 14 points, all from successful attacks.
With a record of 2-8, China will strive to maintain its position in the VNL as they face Brazil on Saturday at 11 a.m.
