After outlasting Germany, Ziga Stern and Slovenia now turn their attention to Team USA, aiming to bring their best in a high-stakes Round of 16 clash at the FIVB Men’s World Championship.
World no. 6 Slovenia fought through a rollercoaster four-setter against Germany, 25-21, 17-25, 31-29, 25-22, to book its place in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Four Slovenians finished in double-digit scoring, led by Toncek Stern with 18 points. Ziga Stern and Nik Mujanovic had 16 markers each, while Jan Kozamernik added 10.
After the win, Stern was quick to focus on their next opponent: world no. 3 Team USA.
“We didn’t look much on the other part of the group, so we will take time to recover first then take a look at USA,” Stern told reporters. “But we know each other. There are not a lot of changes from the VNL competition.”
“It will be the most important to manage to play our best game on this day, and I hope that with good performance we can overpass them.”
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Lessons from Pool E
The Americans swept Pool D behind their depth and firepower, with head coach Karch Kiraly rotating nearly his entire roster in their final group-stage win against Cuba.
For the Slovenians, the challenge lies in matching that balance while finding consistency in their own play.
Stern admitted their win over Germany showed both their strengths and flaws. Slovenia started strong, lost focus in stretches, but managed to close when it mattered most.
“It was a very hard game against the team of Germany. Again, one rollercoaster in our game,” he said. “We started good but fell in the second set, then played good volleyball in third and fourth, but still didn’t manage to stay focused for the middle part of the set.”
“At the end, I’m just happy that we managed to stay together and win against a difficult team like Germany.”
That resilience, Stern noted, will be key when facing a powerhouse like the Americans.
Slovenia will face Team USA in their Round of 16 showdown on Monday, September 22, still at the MOA Arena.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.