Adis Lagumdzija celebrated Turkiye's historic first quarterfinal berth in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship, vowing to carry a "nothing to lose" mindset as they chase a semifinal spot.
Turkiye’s men’s volleyball team has reached uncharted territory.
For the first time in its history, Turkiye advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIVB Men’s World Championship, defeating the Netherlands in four sets, 27-29, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19, on Saturday, September 20, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
At the heart of the triumph was star opposite Adis Lagumdzija, who poured in 28 points built on 25 attacks, one block, and two service aces.
Hard work pays off
Lagumdzija described the moment as the culmination of months of preparation and sacrifice.
“I mean we made history today by beating the Netherlands and going to the quarterfinals. This was our target of the summer,” he said.
“We were working for four months like every other team, but we were working hard, and hard work pays off. We are happy to be in the next stage.”
[ALSO READ: Adis Lagumdzija, Turkiye sweep Pool G of FIVB World Championship: 'We showed we can compete']
This year’s breakthrough run erased the disappointment of 2022, when the Turks’ campaign ended in the Round of 16 at the hands of Team USA.
With another huge task ahead, the 24-year-old stressed the need to recover before the quarterfinals.
“Now we have four days to rest because we need that rest—our last five or six days were really, really hard. We fought a lot on the court. I think everybody who watched our games can see that. We brought a lot of fire on the court.”
Eyes on the semis
By being first to advance, Turkiye now awaits the winner of the Round of 16 clash between world No. 1 Poland and Canada.
Regardless of the opponent, Lagumdzija said the team will enter the matchup with nothing to lose.
“I mean, we have really big momentum now,” he said. “We know it’s going to be really difficult to go to the semifinals because this is the World Championship. But we have nothing to lose.”
“We’re going to do our best because now, whoever goes to the next stage is one of the best eight teams in the world. We’re one of those teams, and we want to show that in the next game.”
[ALSO READ: Turkiye’s confidence at all-time high after win vs Libya — ‘We can beat anybody’]
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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.