Volleyball Nations League:
Piazza frustrated by inconsistency, calls for belief after Japan setback
Head coach Roberto Piazza said his Iranian players must realize they are capable of “doing everything” after his side suffered a 3-2 defeat (25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 23-25, 15-12) to Japan in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League in Orléans, France, on Friday.
Iran was outclassed by the Asian powerhouse in the opening two sets but mounted an impressive comeback to level the match by taking the third and fourth. However, Japan held its nerve in the deciding set to hand Piazza’s side a sixth defeat in seven preliminary-round matches.
The loss left Iran 16th in the 18-team standings with five preliminary matches remaining, dealing another blow to its hopes of reaching the VNL Finals for the first time in four years. Japan, meanwhile, remained top of the table by extending its unbeaten run.
Japan’s attacking efficiency proved decisive, with the team posting an impressive 66 percent success rate on offense. Outside hitter and captain Yuki Ishikawa led all scorers with 22 points, including an ace. Fellow outside hitter Ran Takahashi added 19 points, including two aces, a block, and the match-winning point. Middle blocker Larry Ik Evbade-Dan finished with 15 points, while opposites Kento Miyaura and Yuji Nishida, who shared playing time, contributed 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Young outside hitter Ali Haqparast paced Iran with 19 points. Captain Morteza Sharifi produced three aces and two blocks to finish with 16 points, while opposite Mobin Nasri added 13. Middle blocker Seyyed Eisa Naseri also reached double figures with 12 points.
“I told the guys that it was two games in one; the first two sets and the other three sets,” Piazza said, reflecting on his team’s inconsistent display. “So we need to understand which one we are.”
“We have to believe that it’s possible to do everything, but we need to prove it on the court,” added the Italian coach, whose team opened the second week of preliminary action with a five-set loss to Olympic champion France before falling in straight sets to the United States on Thursday.
Piazza lamented another slow start, saying it again proved costly for his side. He stressed that his players “need to control the game from the beginning” and criticized them for becoming distracted by the score instead of staying focused on the match whenever the teams were evenly matched during a set.
Despite the latest setback, Piazza expressed confidence that Iran has continued to make progress since he took charge 21 months ago.
“I feel that we are improving, and I hope the players can see it too, although I am still not satisfied,” he said.
“We need to play with the same quality, the same ability, and the same desire from beginning to end. In the first two sets today, we needed to play with more desire against an incredible team like Japan.”
Iran will look to end Week 2 on a positive note when it faces Cuba, the only winless team in the competition, on Saturday.
The team will then begin its Week 3 campaign in Belgrade against Ukraine on July 15 before taking on Germany (July 16), Slovenia (July 17), and Turkey (July 19).