Saturday’s semifinals at the inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League delivered high-voltage action as Osaka Bluteon and Al-Rayyan Sports Club secured their places in the historic final and clinched qualification for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship.
Osaka Bluteon, powered by a fiery 24-point display from Miguel Ángel López, overcame defending champions Foolad Sirjan Iranian 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 25-19) in front of their home crowd at Shimadzu Arena. Japanese stars Yuji Nishida (18 pts) and Shoma Tomita (12 pts) added vital support, while Earvin Ngapeth led Foolad with 20 points in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan SC of Qatar pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win over Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, led by an explosive 40-point performance from Abdel-Aziz Nimir. The thrilling match ended 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 17-15.
Nimir, seeking redemption after a previous SV.League semifinal loss to the Sunbirds while with Wolfdogs Nagoya, shone with 31 kills, 5 aces, and 4 blocks. Opposite him, Dmitriy Muserskiy tallied 30 points, while Ran Takahashi added 20 for the Sunbirds.
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