The victory puts Slovenia level with continental rivals Bulgaria, who downed Germany 3-0 (40-38, 25-22, 25-20) in the first match of the day, at the top of the Pool E standings, with each of them having three points. Chileans and Germans didn't get any points in the first-round matches. The best two teams in the pool will advance to the tournament's Round of 16.
Opposites Tonček Štern and Nik Mujanović, who was used as an outside hitter in the Slovenian debut, were the top scorers on the European side, registering 15 (11 kills, two blocks, two aces) and 12 (nine kills, two blocks, one ace) points, respectively. Middle blocker Jan Kozamernik also got to double digits, registering 11 points, with seven kills and four blocks.
"We've been dealing with some injuries this season, and we're trying to do our best with what we have," Nik Mujanović reflected. "Playing as an outside hitter is well outside my comfort zone, but if I'm able to help my team, I'm happy to do so. It was a very good start for us, and we hope we can try to build some momentum. But we can't get too comfortable because in this tournament, one mistake can be enough to take you down."
