The Japanese national team recorded its fifth consecutive victory in the Men's Volleyball Nations League. In a match from the second week of the tournament in Orleans, the Japanese defeated Serbia with a score of 3:1 (25:17, 25:15, 22:25, 25:16).
The Serbs managed to put up serious resistance only in the third set, when they broke the opponent's dominance and narrowed the score. In the other three sets, Japan controlled the development of the match and deservedly achieved the final success.
Japan started strong and won the first two sets with 25:17 and 25:15, demonstrating stability in both attack and serve. After that, Serbia found its rhythm and took the third set with 25:22, but in the fourth part, the Japanese once again imposed their superiority and closed the match after a convincing 25:16.
Team Statistics
| Indicator | Serbia | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 41 | 49 |
| Block | 7 | 8 |
| Ace | 3 | 4 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 22 | 36 |
| Total points | 73 | 97 |
| Digs | 54 | 57 |
Japan outperforms its opponent in all key elements. The biggest difference comes from Serbia's errors, which brought 36 points to the Japanese against 22 for the Serbs. The Asian team also finished with eight points from blocks against seven for the opponent, as well as an advantage in attack – 49 to 41 points.
Top Scorers
| Japan | Points | Serbia | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ran Takahashi | 22 | Veljko Mašulović | 16 |
| Yuki Ishikawa | 12 | Lazar Marinović | 14 |
| Yuji Nishida | 10 | Aleksandar Stefanović | 5 |
Ran Takahashi was the top scorer in the match with 22 points and once again led the Japanese offense. Yuki Ishikawa added 12 points, and Yuji Nishida finished with 10. For Serbia, Veljko Mašulović was the best with 16 points, followed by Lazar Marinović with 14.
With the win, Japan solidified its place among the tournament leaders and added 4.18 points to its world ranking. Serbia lost the same number of points and dropped one position in the standings.
For the Serbs, a match against Cuba is coming up, and over the weekend, the team will also face France and the USA. After five matches played, the team has a balance of 3 wins and 2 losses.
photo:volleyballworld.com
