On the third day of the second week of the Men’s Nations League, international volleyball action ignited the courts of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Orléans, France.
In Rotterdam, Italy kicked off the day by securing a clean sweep over China with a convincing 3-0 victory (25-13, 25-19, 26-24). Serbia followed, triumphing over Germany with a strong 3-1 performance (25-21, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23). The final game of the day was a closely-fought, high-intensity match between the Netherlands and Poland. After five gruelling sets, Poland emerged victorious with a 3-2 win (22-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-22, 15-11).
The action in Orléans was equally intense. The unbeaten Japanese team, buoyed by their winning streak on home turf, continued their dominant run. They secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Brazil (25-23, 25-21, 25-18, 22-25, 16-18) under the astute leadership of coach Philippe Blain, extending their winning streak to seven matches. The Canadians saw off Bulgaria in a 3-1 victory (25-22, 23-25, 22-25, 20-25), while Slovenia overcame a first-set defeat to win 3-1 against Cuba (25-22, 15-25, 16-25, 19-25).