Dominant Argentina get first victory in Belgrade

Argentina started the second week of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 with a dominant performance and earned their first Pool 6 victory in Belgrade on Wednesday.

The South Americans, who registered two wins in four matches in the opening week of the tournament, now have a positive 3-2 record in the VNL 2025 after they took down the Netherlands 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-22) at the Belgrade Arena.

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One of the players who earned a spot in the Argentinean national team after last year’s Paris Olympics, 21-year-old opposite Germán Gómez played a big role in the team’s first victory in Serbia, producing a 17-point (15 kills, one block, one ace) performance against the Dutch. Outside hitter Luciano Palonsky added 12, with ten kills and a pair of blocks.

“I thought our offense was very good today,” setter Matías Sánchez said. “Our side out was very stable, and I’m very happy with the team’s performance. We did great teamwork, and we felt very comfortable on the court.”

Offense was, indeed, one of the main factors in the Argentinean victory as they outscored their opponent by 41 to 34 points in kills. The South Americans also prevailed in blocks (nine to four) and aces (four to three), besides benefiting from more errors (21 to 15).

On the Dutch side, middle blocker Luuc van Der Ent (eight kills, one block, one ace) and outside hitter Tom Koops (eight kills, two aces), were the only ones to get to double digits, registering ten points each.

The three points earned with the sweep pushed Argentina into the qualification zone for the Finals as they now appear in seventh place, with eight points. The Dutch, who have one victory in five matches, have three points and rank 17th in the VNL standings.

Argentina face Iran on Friday

Argentina will have Thursday off before returning to action on Friday, at 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT) to face Iran. The Netherlands will have a chance to bounce back in 24 hours, as they will play against Germany on Thursday, at 16:30 (14:30 GMT).

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

The first match of the week in Belgrade, held earlier on Wednesday, had Cuba coming back to beat Germany 3-1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21). Later, at 20:00 (18:00 GMT), the home team will face Iran.

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