The inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League kicked off in thrilling fashion at Panasonic Arena, with host teams Suntory Sunbirds and Osaka Bluteon, along with Al-Rayyan SC of Qatar and Foolad Sirjan Iranian, all clinching opening-day victories.
SV.League titleholders Suntory Sunbirds launched their Pool A campaign by overpowering Australia’s Queensland Pirates in straight sets. Star player Dmitriy Muserskiy shined with 13 points, guiding the team to a 3-0 sweep.
Host team Osaka Bluteon thrilled the home crowd with a commanding 3-0 win (25-11, 25-21, 25-21) over the Philippines’ Cignal HD Spikers in their Pool B AVC Men’s Champions League opener.
Yuji Nishida led the charge with 13 points, supported by Shoma Tomita and Cuban outside hitter Lopez Castro Miguel Ángel, who added 12 each. Despite some pushback from Marck Espejo and Joshua Umandal, Cignal struggled with errors and couldn’t keep up with Osaka’s intensity.
Other matches of the day:
- Pool C- Foolad Sirjan (Iran) edged Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima in a five-set thriller, powered by Earwin Ngapeth and Javier Concepcion.
- Pool D – Al Rayyan SC (Qatar) swept Al Muharraq (Bahrain) 3-0, debuting big stars like Nimir Abdelaziz, Tine Urnaut, and Noumory Keita.
The tournament is shaping up fast, with several teams fielding revamped, star-studded lineups, giving fans a taste of top-tier international volleyball.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
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