Slovenia is the first semi-finalist in the Final Eight of the Nations League in Ningbo (China), after defeating Turkey 3:0 (25:21, 35:33, 39:37) in one of the most dramatic matches in the tournament's history.
The match lasted only three sets but for 132 minutes and offered a real spectacle, with the second and third sets turning into marathons, full of comebacks, missed opportunities, and controversial referee decisions.
The second set was the most dramatic, in which Slovenia missed as many as 11 opportunities to close the set before eventually winning it 35:33. Turkey, in turn, had their 11 chances to bring back the intrigue in the third set. Our southern neighbors fell behind 14:19 but managed to equalize and were only a point away from reducing the score several times. In the end, the Slovenians held on, and Nik Mujanović put an end to the dispute with a scoring block for the final 39:37.
Blocking proved to be one of the decisive elements in the match. Turkey made an impressive 14 scoring blocks against 11 for Slovenia, with as many as nine of the Turkish blocks coming against Nik Mujanović. Despite serious difficulties in attack, the Slovenian opposite hitter redeemed himself in the best possible way by making the scoring block that brought victory and qualified his team for the semi-finals.
Statistics show how evenly matched the game was. Slovenia finished with a minimal advantage in attack (58:56) but conceded in blocking (11:14) and serving (2:3). Turkey's errors proved decisive, as they gifted 28 points to their opponent against 18 for the Slovenians. Thus, Fabio Soli's team finished with 99 points against 91 for the Turks.
In defense, the Slovenians also had an advantage with 76:64 digs, while Turkey was better in reception (85:76) and in setting (127:121).
The top scorer for the winners was Rok Možič with 25 points, and Nik Mujanović added 20. For Turkey, Adis Lagumdzija finished with 21 points, and Tümer added 11.
Besides the dramatic rallies, the match will likely be remembered for the controversial refereeing of the first referee from Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the match, there were at least four situations with questionable ball handling that remained unsanctioned. The most controversial came at the end of the second set during Tine Urnaut's pass, which caused serious protests from the Turkish bench.
Such situations once again highlight the need for FIVB and the refereeing committee to standardize the criteria for judging ball carries. This element, in particular, is increasingly becoming an extremely subjective decision that can directly influence the outcome of key matches.
Slovenia's success also brought good news for Bulgaria in the world ranking. After the defeat, Turkey lost 6.65 points and dropped one position to No. 10 in the world, while Bulgaria climbed to ninth place. If no major sensation occurs by the end of the Final Eight and Ukraine fails to eliminate Poland and reach the final, our national team will start EuroVolley 2026 as No. 9 in the world ranking.
In the semi-finals, Slovenia will face the winner of the quarter-final between host China and the only undefeated team in the tournament so far – Japan.
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