Gabi Garcia delivered a dominant 26-point performance to lift the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team to a 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-20) over Slovenia in the Round of 16 at the FIVB World Championship in Manila.
With the win, Team USA (4-0) advances to Thursday’s quarterfinal clash against unbeaten Bulgaria (4-0).
Slovenia, which had beaten the Americans earlier this year in the Volleyball Nations League, couldn’t withstand the U.S.’s relentless serving and blocking game. The U.S. outpaced their opponents with a commanding 12-2 edge in aces and a 10-7 advantage in blocks.
Garcia was unstoppable (26 pts), racking up 15 kills, four blocks, and a tournament-leading seven aces. Ethan Champlin added 15 points, while Jordan Ewert contributed with 14. Middle blockers Jeff Jendryk and Merrick McHenry chipped in eight points apiece. For Slovenia was the top scorer with 18 points, and Nik Mujanović added 13.
Head coach Karch Kiraly praised his squad’s resilience:
“We didn’t have everything going our way, but great teams find ways to win when it’s tough. I was impressed with how our guys kept pushing through.”
The Americans now shift focus to Bulgaria, a team also riding a perfect record, in what promises to be one of the marquee matchups of the quarterfinal round.
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