Japan capped a perfect opening week in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League with a 3-1 victory over Slovenia in Linyi, extending winning streak to four matches and handing the Slovenians their first defeat of the tournament.
After dropping a tight opening set, Japan responded with greater consistency and control to take the next three sets. Captain Yuki Ishikawa led the way with a match-high 23 points, while Yuji Nishida added 17 and Ran Takahashi contributed 16. Slovenia was led by Toncek Stern with 21 points and Nik Mujanovic with 18.
Earlier, defending champions Poland rallied from two sets down to overcome Ukraine in a dramatic five-set battle. Ukraine looked set for a major upset after comfortably winning the opening two sets, but Poland found its rhythm and completed the comeback to secure a 3-2 victory. Aliaksei Nasevich scored 19 points for Poland, while Dmytro Yanchuk led Ukraine with 13.
Hosts China closed the day by earning their first win of the season, defeating Cuba in straight sets before a crowd of nearly 6,800 fans. China controlled much of the match and claimed a 3-0 victory to move off the bottom of the standings. Wen Zihua and Cuba’s Alejandro Gonzalez shared top-scoring honors with 13 points each.
Results – Volleyball Nations League 2026 (Linyi, China)
- Japan def. Slovenia 3-1 (25-27, 25-16, 25-22, 25-22)
- Poland def. Ukraine 3-2 (19-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-11)
- China def. Cuba 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-23)
