Slovenia captured their first-ever medal in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League after defeating Japan 3-1 in the bronze-medal match, ending years of near misses with a landmark victory in Ningbo.
The Slovenians prevailed 25-21, 26-28, 25-22, 25-22 to secure third place after finishing fourth in the competition in 2021, 2024 and 2025. The defeat left Japan in fourth place, denying the Asian side what would have been their third VNL medal.
Slovenia recovered from losing a tightly contested second set and took control. Despite committing more unforced errors, the Europeans dominated offensively, outscoring Japan 62-52 in attacks while also holding advantages in blocks (10-5) and aces (6-3).
Nik Mujanović starred with a match-high 24 points, while Rok Možič added 23. Middle blocker Jan Kozamernik contributed 10 points. Japan was led by Ran Takahashi with 20 points, while Yuji Nishida finished with 10.
After the match, Možič said the long-awaited medal was a reward for years of perseverance.
“Fourth time was lucky for us. We’ve had so many fourth-place finishes, and now we finally have a medal. It feels like gold for us, and I’m incredibly proud of this team,” he said.
Kozamernik praised Slovenia’s resilience throughout the tournament.
“It wasn’t perfect volleyball, but we kept fighting after every mistake. This medal is something special and a reward for all the hard work we’ve put in.”
Head coach Fabio Soli described the achievement as a milestone for Slovenian volleyball.
“I’m extremely proud of the players. After yesterday’s semifinal defeat, it wasn’t easy to respond, but they showed outstanding character. We made history with a young team, and this is a moment Slovenian volleyball will remember.”
The bronze capped an impressive campaign for Slovenia, which reached the Finals after winning 10 of 12 preliminary-round matches before defeating Türkiye in the quarterfinals and falling to Poland in the semifinals.
Result
FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2026 – Bronze Medal Match
Slovenia 3-1 Japan (25-21, 26-28, 25-22, 25-22)
Top scorers
- Slovenia: Nik Mujanović 24, Rok Možič 23, Jan Kozamernik 10
- Japan: Ran Takahashi 20, Yuji Nishida 10
