The Ukrainian volleyball team has secured its fourth victory within the Nations League. The opponent for the 'blue-yellow' team was Japan – one of the best teams in the world (4th place in the world ranking) and a leading team in the tournament table.
The match concluded with a score of 3:2.
Interestingly, the Japanese team could have ended up without winning a single set, as Ukraine was the first to have a set point in the opening round. However, they failed to capitalize on it and subsequently gave away two points to their opponents.
In the second set, the 'blue-yellows' sought revenge and sensationally defeated Japan with a comfortable margin. The third set followed a similar script, with Ukraine leading the score.
The 'blue-yellows' continued to lead in the next round, seemingly on course to win the game. However, midway through the fourth set, the updated Japanese lineup restored parity. Ultimately, a tense battle ended with Japan's victory.
Thus, everything was decided in the tiebreak, where Ukraine managed to clinch the win. Special mention should go to Illia Kovalov, who had an outstanding performance in the first three sets and contributed significantly to the team's score. However, in the crucial moments, he made several mistakes.
Nations League 2025
Group Stage, 7 matches
June 27
Ukraine – Japan 3:2 (24:26, 25:17, 25:18, 23:25, 15:13)
As a reminder, the Ukrainians overcame the USA, achieved an incredible victory over Cuba, and left no chances for Turkey, but unfortunately lost to Brazil, Iran, and France. It's worth noting that this is Ukraine's debut in the Nations League.
The next match for the 'blue-yellows' will be on June 29, against the Bulgarian team. The full schedule of Ukrainian matches in the tournament can be found HERE.
As part of their preparation for LN-2025, the Ukrainian team played in the international tournament Silesia Cup-2025. In the first round, Raul Lozano's team defeated Poland, in the second they lost to Germany, and in the third, they were stronger than Bulgaria.
