Six European, two Asian teams prevail in Round of 16 showdowns at Boys’ U19 World Championship
Published 06:30, 30 Jul 2025
Poland and Bulgaria each came through five-set thrillers on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship, concluding the Round of 16 at Yunnusobod Hall and Sport University Center in Tashkent.
They joined Spain, Italy, France, Finland, Korea and Iran in the next round, forming a quarterfinal lineup that includes six European teams and two from Asia as the knockout stage continues in the Uzbek capital.
Bulgaria held off a fierce challenge from the United States to win 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 16-14). After taking the first two sets, the European side lost momentum before regrouping in the fifth, where Zhasmin Velichkov sealed the win with a composed performance down the stretch.
"We fought to the end. We always believed we were going to win, and that motivation kept us going the whole time. We have to play as a team against Spain because we’re stronger together. That will help us win," Velichkov said.
Poland followed with a five-set battle of their own, edging Pakistan 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-21, 18-16) in the longest match of the day. Maksymilian Lyson led all scorers with 26 points, including the final hit in an extended tiebreak.
"We always try to fight. If we lose, it’s OK, but we must compete to win. If we're not fighting, we will not be happy. That’s our mentality. We must focus on every ball, either it's the first ball of the match or the last two balls of the tiebreak. We must have faith in our abilities," Lyson said.
Spain were the first team to secure a spot in the quarterfinals, defeating Argentina 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 27-25) in a tightly contested match. Cesar Irache led with 26 points, while Mario Garcia Dominguez added 13 and reflected on the team’s approach.
"It was a really difficult match because Argentina are a very good team, but we won and that was important. We know Cesar is always there for the team and does a lot of points, but Argentina know that too, so we played more with our outside hitters. Playing in a World Championship was a really good experience, we are playing very well," Garcia Dominguez said.
Spain celebrate their quarterfinal qualification with a team huddle after defeating Argentina in straight sets.
Korea also moved into the last eight after sweeping China 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22). Lee Jungho delivered 17 points and emphasized the importance of consistency heading into the next phase.
"We will need to watch Poland and Pakistan first, but when we play, we will reduce unforced errors and rely on teamwork, strong reception, and defense to win. Our focus will be on powerful attacks, but that comes later. First, we need solid reception and setting. We trust each other, and our goal is to win completely," Lee said.
France continued their title defense with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-21) win over Brazil. Andrej Jokanovic and Noa Duflos Rossi combined for 31 points to lead the French attack and keep their campaign on track.
Iran continued their strong form with a 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20) win over Belgium. Mohammad Amin Rahimi finished with 14 points and dedicated the victory to injured teammate Mahan Barkzar.
"I'm really happy for this match. We will continue together, then take a rest and focus on Finland. After that, we will face any opponent and keep playing our best in the tournament. In the first match, we lost a player to injury. He is a good player and a key part of our team. Since then, we have been fighting for him. This win is for Mahan," Rahimi said.
Italy moved forward with a win over hosts Uzbekistan, taking the match 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-14). Andrea Giani led with 13 points and Manuel Zlatanov added nine as the Italians controlled all phases of play.
Finland rounded out the quarterfinal field with a 3-0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-21) win over Japan. Viktor Viljamaa paced the team with 19 points as the Finnish side continued their unbeaten run in Tashkent.
Finland celebrate a point during their 3-0 win over Japan in the eightfinals.
In the playoff matches for 17th to 24th place, Türkiye rallied past Tunisia in five sets, winning 3-2 (24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 22-25, 15-12) behind strong performances from Mehmet Ege Biber and Ata Ünver, who scored 24 and 21 points, respectively.
Puerto Rico earned their first victory of the tournament with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-15) sweep of Egypt, led by Gustavo Antonio Alvarez Acosta’s 19 points and Jean Paul Gonzalez Vazquez’s 14.
Cuba also picked up their first win, defeating Algeria 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-12) behind 17 points from Alessandro Gonzalez Fuentes, all scored from attack.
In the final playoff match of the day, Colombia overcame Canada 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-22), with Maicol Isaac Ortiz Castañeda scoring 20 points to counter the efforts of Canadian hitters Tyson Dezutter and Ethan Baraniuk, who finished with 22 and 19, respectively.
2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship: full schedule
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