Volleyball Nations League:
Iran undone by Olympic champion, misses out on Finals spot
Iran’s bid for a first progress to the Volleyball Nations League Finals since 2022 came to an end after a straight-set defeat (26-24, 25-16, 26-24) against back-to-back Olympic gold medalist France in their penultimate preliminary game in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday.
The result saw the defending champion secure a top-seven finish in the 18-team table and a place in the quarterfinals – starting July 30 in Ningbo, China.
French Opposite Théo Faure scored 20 points for the third time in as many matches in the third week of action, with outside-hitter Trévor Clévenot chipping in 14, including two blocks, and two aces. Yacine Louati also finished in double figures for the European powerhouse, contributing 11 points.
Morteza Sharifi led the Iranian offense with 16 points, while fellow outside-hitter Amirhossein Esfandiar tallied 11, with nine kills and two blocks.
“The result is part of the game but not the most important thing for us now,” Italian head coach Roberto Piazza, who was appointed to the Iranian job in January, said after the game, adding: “We have to grow up every day.”
“What I liked about today was that we played a normal game against the two-time Olympic champion. The [Iranian] players showed that they have the confidence to play in top level of volleyball,” added the Italian.
The decisive point of the contest perhaps came in the closing stages of the first set, when Iran, leading by 24-22, conceded four points in succession to lose the set.
“I think we gave it our all on the court once again, especially in the first and third sets,” Piazza said.
“In the second set, we lost some confidence because when you’re leading in a set but then let it slip away for whatever reason, the mental setback can stick with you for a while. But what I keep telling my players is that every new set is a new life. The previous set has to be forgotten quickly because each one is a fresh challenge.”