Iran put up a brilliant outing to take down Serbia in another five-set victory, booking their spot in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship quarterfinals.
Iran will head to the FIVB Men’s World Championship quarterfinal for the first time since 2014 after suffocating Serbia in five sets, 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Tuesday night, September 23.
The last Asian team in the global joust lived to fight another day after pulling another five-set victory.
In the winner-take-all fifth set, Iran looked like the much calmer team, building a five-point lead at 10-5 after Mohammad Valizadeh’s quick attack.
From there, the Iranians cruised to victory and sealed their spot in the next round.
Ali Hajipour and Morteza Sharifi had a brilliant outing for Iran with 23 points each, while Ali Haghparast added 18 markers.
Up next for Iran will be Czechia in the quarterfinals on Thursday, September 25, still at the Pasay venue.
—
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.