Japan finished the first week of the Men's Volleyball Nations League in impressive fashion. The "Samurai" recorded their fourth consecutive victory after defeating Slovenia 3:1 (25:27, 25:16, 25:22, 25:22) in their last match of the tournament in the Chinese city of Linyi.
The Slovenians dramatically snatched the first set 27:25, but after that, the Japanese imposed their rhythm and won the next three sets to finish the week undefeated.
The victory brought significant dividends in the world ranking as well. Japan gained valuable points and climbed one position to 5th place in the world. The loss cost the Slovenians 7.75 points, which dropped them to 7th position in the FIVB ranking.
The fourth consecutive success also put the Japanese in first place in the provisional VNL standings, while Slovenia finished the first week in a provisional 4th position.
Statistics highlighted the Asians' superiority in key elements. Japan scored 60 attack points against 51 for their opponent and capitalized on 29 Slovenian errors, while Slovenia received 20 points from Japanese errors. Both teams recorded 7 aces each, and the Slovenians had an advantage in blocking – 9 points against 4.
The Japanese's performance in defense was particularly impressive, where they recorded 63 digs against 42 for Slovenia. The Europeans were more stable in reception (83 against 67), but this was not enough to stop Laurent Tillie's inspired squad.
Japan's captain Yuki Ishikawa was the top scorer in the match with 23 points. Opposite Yuji Nishida added another 17 points for the winners.
For Slovenia, Toncek Stern was the top scorer with 21 points, while Nik Mujanovic finished with 18 points.
The Slovenian national team is now focusing on the home tournament of the second week of the VNL in Ljubljana. The competition begins on June 24, and on the very next day, June 25, the Slovenians will face Bulgaria in one of the most anticipated matches for the local audience.

photo:volleyballworld.com