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Volleyball Nations League:
Iran beats Cuba to snap losing streak
Only a second victory in eight outings lifted Iran to 14th place in the 18-team standings with nine points. Still without a win at this year’s tournament, Cuba remained bottom of the table with two points and faces relegation at the end of the preliminary phase’s second week.
“We desperately needed this victory. I think we delivered some solid performances over the past two weeks, except in the match against Belgium, when we made too many mistakes,” said Ali Hajipour, Iran’s leading scorer with 20 points.
“Unfortunately, bad luck and our lack of experience prevented us from capitalizing on our momentum at times,” the Iranian opposite added.
Outside hitter Ali Haqparast added 15 points, including three aces, for Iran, while Cuban outside hitter Marlon Yant was the match’s top scorer with 23 points. Jose Israel Masso Alvarez (17), Robertlandy Simon (11) and Miguel Angel Lopez (11) also reached double figures for Cuba at CO’Met Arena.
“There is no easy game in the VNL,” Iran head coach Roberto Piazza said after the match, adding: “Even when we lost in straight sets to the USA, it wasn’t an easy match for them. It’s always difficult to play in this tournament because you’re facing the strongest teams in the world.”
The Italian praised his young team’s performance in the first two sets before a serious leg injury to Cuban middle blocker Javier Octavio Concepcion proved to be a turning point in the contest.
“We were really good until the end of the second set, when Concepcion suffered a terrible injury. Then they found another level of energy, while we lost our focus because the players were thinking about their middle blocker rather than the game,” the Italian said.
Iran will resume its campaign in Week 3 in Belgrade, beginning with a daunting match against surprise package Ukraine – fifth in the standings with a 5-3 record – on July 15. Piazza’s men will then face Germany and Slovenia before wrapping up the preliminary phase against Turkey on July 19.
Piazza said he was pleased with the progress his team – the second youngest among the tournament’s 18 teams – has made ahead of the third week, while acknowledging it remains far from the finished article.
“The final week is going to be a long one and we have to improve. The players are starting to play better and better, but that’s not enough for me. Now it’s time to analyze the situation with the team before we start thinking about the final week,” Piazza said.
The top seven teams in the preliminary standings will be joined by hosts China (17th) in the VNL Finals, which begin with the quarterfinals at Ningbo’s Beilun Gymnasium on July 29.
Japan has already secured a place in the last eight after maintaining its perfect record atop the standings. The United States, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, Italy and Turkey currently occupy the remaining qualifying spots.