FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League:
Iran finds relief with survival despite Slovenia setback
Iran endured yet another frustrating day at the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League, losing 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 26-24) to Slovenia in Belgrade on Friday.
Despite suffering an eighth defeat in 11 preliminary-round matches, the Asian side still had reason for relief earlier in the day after Belgium’s straight-set loss to Japan ensured head coach Roberto Piazza’s men, who sit 13th in the 18-team standings, avoided relegation ahead of today’s final preliminary fixture against Turkey.
Outside hitter Rok Možič led the European side with 19 points, including five blocks, while opposite hitter Nik Mujanović added 15.
Opposite Ali Hajipour was the only Iranian to reach double figures with 11 points, while outside hitters Ali Haqparast and Morteza Sharifi contributed nine apiece.
Despite the latest setback, Piazza said he remains optimistic about the future of his young squad, whose ultimate goal is to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“I told the players that you can always look at a glass from two perspectives: half empty or half full. For me, the glass is always full,” the Italian said after the match.
“We gave everything we had today, but we were playing with limited energy and were not in our best physical condition because we had spent so much the day before.”
Iran claimed only its third preliminary-round victory when it came from behind to beat Germany in a five-set thriller on Thursday.
“Had we performed better yesterday and finished that match sooner, we could have been in better condition today. That’s the way I see it,” Piazza added.
“That match [against Germany] could have been easier, but in tournaments like this, when you have to play on consecutive days, the energy you lose cannot be fully recovered by the next day.
“Today, this was all the energy we had available. Even so, I’m proud of my team because the players left everything they had on the court.”
Piazza also lamented his side’s inability to close out tight sets.
“I want to review how many sets we’ve lost by just a couple of points,” he said. “Today we lost two sets 27-25 and 26-24. On many occasions we were only one point away from winning a set. In the third set, for example, we were leading 24-23.”
Iran also squandered a five-point advantage at 14-9 in the third set.
The Italian coach said his players must learn to remain patient instead of trying to finish sets at the first opportunity.
“The first instinct is to think we have to end the set right away,” Piazza said. “But we don’t yet have the patience to accept that if the first attack doesn’t work, we may need a second or even a third chance to score the decisive point.
“When we fail to finish it at the first opportunity, we begin to feel pressure because the initial attempt didn’t succeed. That’s not the right mentality, and it’s my job to change that habit.”
Piazza stressed that responsibility for the defeat rested with the team as a whole rather than any individual player.
“I don’t want to blame anyone or point the finger at any player. This concerns the entire team,” he said.