Italy highlighted the final day of the preliminary round at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship on Tuesday, completing pool play unbeaten at Jiangmen Sports Center. The 2023 silver medalists claimed first place in Pool D, while USA, Iran and Czechia also secured their groups to advance to the Round of 16.

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Italy capped the stage with another commanding performance, sweeping Argentina 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-17). They were steady throughout the match, using their precision and control to keep a consistent rhythm. Their unbeaten record highlighted the form that carried them through the group stage and strengthened their case as one of the leading contenders in Jiangmen.

Argentina worked hard to disrupt Italy, leaning on their net defense and showing flashes of quality with blocks and aggressive swings. They pressed the Europeans in stretches of the second and third sets, but Italy’s depth and composure allowed them to pull away each time. The South Americans forced long rallies and challenged late, but could not convert those moments into sustained pressure.

Italy spread the scoring load across their lineup, mixing power from the wings with quick plays through the middle to keep Argentina’s defense off balance. Timely scoring runs tilted the match further in their favor as they closed the sweep with confidence. The result not only preserved their unbeaten record but also reinforced their momentum heading into the Round of 16, where they will look to build on their silver medal finish from 2023.

The United States also finished pool play without a loss, claiming first place in Pool A after a 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-23) victory against Morocco. They breezed through the opening set before being tested in the next two, but their composure held as they closed out the sweep by two points. Sebastiano Sani led with 12 points, while Riggs Guy added 11, all on kills. Morocco’s Khatibi Zakaria reached double digits with 10, but his team could not match USA’s depth at key moments.

Defending champions Iran emerged on top of Pool B with a 3-1 (25-18, 19-25, 25-17, 25-19) win over Poland in a clash of unbeaten sides. They controlled the first set, slipped in the second, then reasserted themselves with physical play at the net to take the next two. Both teams advanced to the Round of 16, but Iran’s win reinforced their credentials as they chase back-to-back titles. Seyed Matin Hosseini Tolouti scored 17 points, Pouya Ariakhah added 14, and Ariyan Mahmoudi Nejad and Armin Ghelichniazi chipped in 12 each. Bartlomiej Potrykus managed 12 for Poland, but Iran’s defense limited his support.

Czechia secured Pool C by rallying past Japan 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-22) in another meeting of unbeaten teams. The match was tightly fought, but Czechia’s resilience in the third set shifted the momentum firmly in their favor. Tomas Brichta led with 27 points, supported by Matej Pastrnak’s 18 and Vojtech Pitner’s 11. Japan’s trio of Kai Yamamoto, Shunta Ono and Takuma Kawano combined for 53, but Czechia’s defense and late-set composure carried them through.

Türkiye added their name to the Round of 16 qualifiers with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22) win over Thailand. Yiğit Hamza Aslan and Yılmaz Üner scored 14 each, while Selim Yıldız added 12 and five of Türkiye’s 13 blocks. Kittipong Sangsak kept Thailand close with 15 points, but the Europeans held firm in the end.

Egypt followed with a five-set triumph over hosts China, 3-2 (25-18, 25-22, 26-28, 17-25, 15-13), climbing to second in Pool A and pushing the home side down to third. After letting slip a two-set lead, Egypt recovered in the tiebreak behind Hamza Awad’s 20 points and support from Mahmoud Abdelbaki, Ahmed Amer and Youssef Elrassas. Li Hai tallied 28 for China, while Li Duo added 20 in the losing effort.

Canada tried to stay alive in Pool B with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-18) sweep of Puerto Rico, producing 39 kills, 11 blocks and five aces. Daniil Hershtynovich scored 15 points, but their hopes ended when Kazakhstan rallied to beat Korea 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22) to claim third place. Vladislav Mastikhin scored 17 for Kazakhstan, while Klim Ryukhov, Artyom Olexenko and Assylkhan Izbergenuly combined for 39. Korea still advanced in fourth place, with Park Wooyoung scoring 16 and Jang Eunseok 11, while Canada dropped into the classification round.

Bulgaria outlasted Brazil in another five-setter, winning 3-2 (25-17, 25-16, 20-25, 12-25, 15-10) to secure a Pool C victory. Aleksandar Kandev paced the team with 18 points, Stilian Delibosov added 15, and Zhasmin Velichkov and Georgi Bachvarov contributed 13 and 12. Bryan Lucas Alves da Silva led Brazil with 22 and Thiago Vaccari Kavalkievicz scored 16, but errors in the decider cost them.

Cuba finished Pool C with their third win by edging Colombia 3-2 (25-17, 39-41, 25-21, 20-25, 15-10). Daniel Martinez carried the attack with 39 points, including 34 kills, a block and four aces, while Maicol Isaac Ortiz Castañeda scored 24 for Colombia. The match featured one of the longest sets of the tournament, with Colombia pulling out the second frame 41-39 before Cuba steadied themselves in the fifth.

France confirmed second place in Pool D after beating Indonesia 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-21). Joévin Wa-Bala led with 22 points, while Dawuda scored 14 for Indonesia, who kept each set close but could not finish off their chances.

Ukraine secured their own Round of 16 place in Pool D by defeating Tunisia 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-20). Tonkonoh Maksym scored 12, and two teammates added 10 apiece as the Europeans combined 46 kills, seven blocks and six aces. Tunisia improved as the match went on but lacked a double-digit scorer, with Mohamed Amine Jenzi and Rasem Ksouda finishing with six each.

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

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