The U19 Men's Volleyball World Championship in Tashkent is entering its decisive phase. After the eight Round of 32 matches were played, all pairings for the Round of 16, which will be played on Friday, became clear. Bulgaria overcame the USA after a five-set drama and will face Spain.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria with heroism against the USA
The Bulgarian youth national team qualified for the World Championship's Round of 16 after an epic match against the USA – 3:2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 16-14). Miroslav Zhivkov's proteges showed an unyielding spirit, after allowing a comeback from 2:0 to 2:2, but held off the pressure in the tie-break and from 11:14 managed to win 16:14. The victory was extremely important psychologically and qualified our team among the top 8.
The second big thriller of the Round of 32 was the clash between Poland and Pakistan – 3:2 (21-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-21, 18-16). Pakistan entered the match aswinner of Group A without losing a set, but could not withstand the pressure. The Poles, who did not impress in the group stage, were trailing 1:2 in sets, but mounted a comeback with inspired play fromMaksymilian Lison (26 points)andJakub Szczurowski (14 points). In the decisive tie-break, the 'druzhina' showed nerves of steel and closed the match 18:16, eliminating one of the dark horses of the tournament.
🇫🇷 France vs 🇮🇹 Italy – a clash of European magnitude
France and Italy will play one of the most anticipated derbies in Tashkent. The two powerhouses met in the final of the U18 European Championship in 2024 in Sofia, where the French won gold. Now, just a year later, history will repeat itself on the world stage.
🇪🇸 Spain - 🇧🇬 Bulgaria: a match with quarter-final significance
After their 3:0 victory over Argentina, Spain will be Bulgaria's opponent in the Round of 16. The Spaniards reached the semi-finals of EuroVolley U18 in Sofia, but lost to the future champions – France. The team is well-coordinated, with a powerful attack and stable defense. For the Bulgarian team, this will be the most serious test so far.
Round of 32 results:
| Match | Result | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Spain - Argentina | 3:0 | 25-22, 25-23, 27-25 |
| Pakistan - Poland | 2:3 | 25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 21-25, 16-18 |
| Bulgaria - USA | 3:2 | 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 16-14 |
| Korea - China | 3:0 | 25-22, 25-19, 25-22 |
| Italy - Uzbekistan | 3:0 | 25-18, 25-14, 25-14 |
| France - Brazil | 3:0 | 25-18, 25-22, 25-21 |
| Finland - Japan | 3:0 | 25-22, 27-25, 25-21 |
| Belgium - Iran | 1:3 | 19-25, 25-17, 19-25, 20-25 |
Bulgaria and Poland won the most dramatic matches, while France, Italy, and Finland subdued their opponents with ease. The Finns remain the only team without a lost match in the tournament.
1/8-final pairs (Friday):
| Match | Context and highlights |
|---|---|
| 🇰🇷 Korea - 🇵🇱 Poland | Poland survived against Pakistan, and Korea impressed with a clean victory |
| 🇫🇷 France - 🇮🇹 Italy | A repeat of the EuroVolley U18 2024 final in Sofia – France is the reigning European champion |
| 🇪🇸 Spain - 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Spain reached the semi-finals in Sofia, where they lost to the future champions France |
| 🇮🇷 Iran - 🇫🇮 Finland | Finland – the only team without a lost match so far |
The match times have not yet been announced by the organizers.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov and .volleyballworld.com
