Czechia made history by reaching the semifinals of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship for the first time, defeating Poland to extend their unbeaten run. They were joined in the final four by fellow undefeated sides the United States, Iran and Italy after Friday’s quarterfinals at the Jiangmen Sports Center.

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Czechia’s breakthrough came with a 3-1 (25-13, 20-25, 25-21, 30-28) victory over Poland. Opposite Tomas Brichta set the tone with 20 points, while captain Matej Pastrnak added 16 and outside hitter Vojtech Pitner contributed 10. Middle blocker Jan Cerny was also key at the net with nine points, three from blocks, as the Czechs spread their scoring threats.

Poland fought back in the second set, powered by opposite Wojciech Gajek’s 28-point performance. He was supported by outside hitters Jakub Kiedos with 12 and Michal Grzyb with nine, as their improved transition game helped level the match.

The Czechs kept their composure in the closing stages, with setter Adam Vitamvas directing the attack and Brichta and Pastrnak finishing rallies under pressure. With Cerny anchoring the block, Czechia clinched the fourth set 30-28 to remain unbeaten and secure their historic semifinal place.

The United States joined them after surviving another five-set test, edging France 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12). Sean Kelly led with 21 points, Cole Hartke added 19 and Trevell Jordan scored 11, while Adrien Roure, Joévin Wa-Bala and Thomas Pujol kept France competitive with double-digit performances. In the deciding set, USA’s block–defense system tightened, and Kelly and Hartke supplied the points to seal the victory.

Iran produced the only sweep of the quarterfinals, beating China 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-14). Seyed Matin Hosseini Tolouti and Taha Behboudnia led with 14 points each, while Armin Ghelichniazi added 10. With 17 team blocks, Iran controlled the net, while China’s Li Hai top-scored for his side with 14 points in a losing effort.

Italy advanced with a 3-1 win over Cuba (25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-21). Tommaso Barotto scored 20, Mati Pardo 18 and Manuel Zlatanov 17 as the Italians overcame Daniel Martinez’s 24 points for Cuba. After conceding the second set, Italy’s block and service pressure allowed them to regain control and close out the match.

In the 9–16 classification, Bulgaria edged Kazakhstan 3-2 (25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 15-9) after letting a two-set lead slip but regaining control in the tie-break, while Ukraine rallied to defeat Türkiye 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-18) with stronger blocking through the middle. Japan outlasted Argentina 3-2 (27-29, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19, 15-13) thanks to the scoring of Taiki Shirono and Takuma Kawano, and Korea also needed five sets to stop Egypt 3-2 (28-26, 22-25, 28-30, 25-23, 15-12) behind a 26-point effort from Yun Gyeong.

In the 17–20 bracket, Canada squeezed past Thailand 3-2 (18-25, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13) in a seesaw contest decided by Félix-Antoine Perron’s 24 points, while Brazil steadied after dropping the second set to beat Indonesia 3-1 (25-20, 25-27, 25-19, 25-22) through the combined efforts of Bryan Lucas Alves da Silva and captain Martos Antonio Soares Neto.

The 21–24 matches saw Colombia recover from a slow start to beat Tunisia 3-1 (17-25, 25-20, 25-11, 25-18), using their blocking strength to shift momentum, while Puerto Rico came from behind to overcome Morocco 3-1 (20-25, 30-28, 25-20, 25-21) on the back of 26 points from Ramon Andres Rosado Pineda.

2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship: full schedule

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