Chiba, Japan – Turkiye fought their way to a crucial 3-1 win over Germany, while host nation Japan staged a jaw-dropping comeback to edge Argentina in a five-sets.
Turkiye 3–1 Germany: Mandiraci Leads the Charge
In the opening match of the day, Turkiye delivered a clutch performance under pressure, securing a much-needed 3-1 victory over Germany to climb up to 15th place in the standings. With their survival on the line, Turkiye now sits at 3-7 with 9 points, putting them two wins clear of Serbia and the Netherlands.
The star of the match was 23-year-old outside hitter Efe Mandiraci, who posted a game-high 25 points—including the final point in a thrilling 30-28 fourth set. His high-impact performance featured a 59% success rate in attack and three aces.
Adis Lagumdzija added 23 points with two aces and a block, while Mirza Lagumdzija was near-perfect on offense, scoring 12 points with a remarkable 71% success rate.
Germany, now 4-6 and holding 15 points in 11th place, saw their Finals hopes dim. Filip John was their standout, scoring 25 points. Erik Rohrs and Tobias Brand added 18 and 13 points respectively, while middle blocker Florian Krage chipped in with 10 points and three stuffs.
Japan 3–2 Argentina: Miyaura Sparks Incredible Comeback
Later in the day, the home crowd witnessed a spectacular reversal of fortune as Japan overturned a two-set deficit to defeat Argentina 3-2 in one of the most dramatic matches of the VNL so far.
Japan’s victory—23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13—improved their record to 7-3 with 20 points, firmly placing them in the hunt for a Finals berth in Ningbo. The comeback was orchestrated by Kento Miyaura, who notched 23 points, all from attack, with a 59% success rate.
With coach Laurent Tillie bringing in fresh legs, youngsters like Shoma Tomita and Masato Kai added energy and precision to Japan’s game. Ishikawa himself added 13 points, while Ran Takahashi contributed 16.
Argentina, now 5-5 with 14 points in eighth place, were led by Luciano Palonsky (18 points), Bruno Lima (16), and Agustin Loser, who delivered a total of 15 points.
Don’t miss the final VNL action streaming live on VBTV.
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