Slovenia opened their 2026 Volleyball Nations League campaign with a hard-fought five-set victory over hosts China in Linyi.
Slovenia appeared in control after taking the opening set, but China responded strongly to claim the next two and move within one set of a notable upset. The hosts capitalized on Slovenian errors and rode strong home support to seize the momentum.
The visitors regrouped in the fourth set, with Rok Možič producing some important blocks in the closing stages to force a decider. Slovenia then held the nerve in the fifth set, pulling away midway through and securing the win.
Rok Možič led Slovenia with 25 points, including five blocks, while Nik Mujanović added 18 points and Tonček Štern contributed 16. China’s top scorer was Wen Zihua with 23 points.
Result:
Slovenia 3-2 China (25-18, 23-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-9)
