Lausanne, Switzerland, July 2, 2016 – Serbia suffered their first defeat of the season, throwing Group 1 of the FIVB World League wide open ahead of the finals, while Germany and Slovenia qualified to meet in the final of Group 3.
Iran pulled off a stunning comeback from two sets down in Tehran to hand Serbia their first defeat in the competition this season, as Brazil and USA scored wins over Poland and Bulgaria respectively to catch the Balkan side at the top of the standings.
In Dallas, Russia shut out winless Australia to remain alive in the race for a ticket to the Final Six, while defending champions France routed their neighbours Belgium and Italy outlasted Argentina in four sets, with the latter now out of contention for a place in the Finals.
Pool play concludes over the weekend, as nine teams jostle for position to claim the five available tickets for the final six in Krakow.
The race is still very much on for three tickets to the Final Four next weekend in Portugal, as pool play winds down this weekend. Only Japan, Cuba, Slovakia and Korea are mathematically out of the running for a spot in the Finals.
Top Scorer by Day
28 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Portugal on July 1
28 – John Gordon Perrin of Canada v Cuba on July 1
29 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v Japan on June 26
29 – Antonin Rouzier of France v Argentina on June 25
24 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v USA on June 24
21 – Mohammadjavad Manvinezhad of Iran v Bulgaria on June 23
31 – Marko Bojic of Montenegro v Spain on June 19
29 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Korea on June 18
26 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v Czech Republic on June 17
23 – Taylor Sander of USA v Argentina on June 16
Top Scoring Performances
31 – Marko Bojic of Montenegro v Spain on Jun 19
30 – Andres J. Villena of Spain v Montenegro on Jun 19
29 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v Japan on June 26
29 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Korea on June 18
28 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Portugal on July 1
28 – John Gordon Perrin of Canada v Cuba on July 1
26 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v Czech Republic on June 17
25 – Hichem Kaabi of Tunisia v Venezuela on June 26
25 – Kervin Pinerua of Venezuela vs Qatar on June 18
25 – Steven Morales of Puerto Rico v Kazakhstan on June 19
25 – Wouter Ter Maat of The Netherlands v Egypt on July 1
24 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v USA on June 24
24 – Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre of Cuba v Japan on June 18
24 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v France on June 19
24 – Alexandre Ferreira of Portugal v Slovakia on June 19
24 – Tsvetan Sokolov of Bulgaria v USA on July 1
23 – Alexandre Ferreira of Portugal v Turkey on June 17
23 – Matthew Anderson of USA v Argentina on June 17
23 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v China on June 19
23 – Taylor Sander of USA v Argentina on June 16
22 – Paul Carroll of Australia v Belgium on June 17
22 – Andrés J. Villena of Spain v Germany on June 18
22 – Rolando Cepeda of Cuba v Finland on June 19
22 – Ahmed Elkotb of Egypt v The Netherlands on July 1
21 – Mohammadjavad Manvinezhad of Iran v Bulgaria on June 23
21 – Alexandre Ferreira of Portugal v Finland on July 1
20 – Olli–Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Cuba on June 19
20 – Qingyao Dai of China v Czech Republic on June 18
20 – Steven Morales of Puerto Rico v Chinese Taipei on June 17
20 – Tsvetan Sokolov of Bulgaria v Serbia on June 18
20 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v France on June 19
20 – Kevin Tillie of France v Belgium on June 19
20 – Abraham Alfonso of Cuba v Canada on July 1
Top Individual Serving Performances
7 – Kostyantyn Bakun of Russia v Bulgaria on June 19
7 – Srecko Lisinac of Serbia v Brazil on June 23
7 – Ivan Zaytsev of Italy v Belgium on June 25
7 – Tommi Siiril of Finland v Japan on June 26
6 – Donovan Dzavoronok of Czech Republic v Netherlands on June 23
5 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Cuba on June 19
5 – Peter Ondrovic of Slovakia v Cuba on June 23
5 – Hossam Abdalla of Egypt v Japan on June 26
5 – Wouter Ter Maatt of The Netherlands v Egypt on July 1
4 – Chen Longhai of China v Korea on June 26
4 – Hamza Nagga of Tunisia v Venezuela on June 26
4 – Aleksandr Atansijevic of Serbia v Brazil on June 23
4 – Gotsev Svetoslav of Bulgaria v Iran on June 23
4 – Tommi Siirila of Finland v Cuba on June 19
4 – Dmitriy Muserskiy of Russia v Bulgaria on June 19
4 – Eder Carbonera of Brazil v USA on June 18
4 – Lucas Saatkamp of Brazil v Iran on June 16
4 – Cristian Poglajen of Argentina v Iran on June 18
4 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Korea on June 18
4 – Marko Bojic of Montenegro v Tunisia on June 25
4 – Seo Jae Duck of Korea v the Czech Republic on July 1
4 – Li Runming of China v Slovakia on July 1
4 – Simon van de Voorde of Belgium v France on July 1
4 – Ezequiel Palacios of Argentina v Italy on July 1
4 – Lukas Divis of Russia v Australia on July 1
Top Team Serving Performances
20 – Serbia v Brazil on June 23
13 – Finland v Cuba on June 19
13 – Russia v Bulgaria on June 19
11 – Egypt v Japan on June 26
11 – Czech Republic v Netherlands on June 23
11 – Italy v Belgium on June 25
10 – Brazil v Argentina on June 16
9 – Cuba v Korea on June 17
9 – Russia v Serbia on June 17
9 – Slovenia v Qatar on June 17
9 – Cuba v Korea on June 17
9 – Egypt v China on June 19
9 – Russia v Australia on July 1
8 – Tunisia v Venezuela on June 26
8 – Tunisia v Portugal on June 17
8 – Finland v Korea on Jun 18
8 – Italy v Australia on June 19
8 – Korea v the Czech Republic on July 1
8 – China v Slovakia on July 1
8 – Italy v Argentina on July 1
Top Individual Blocking Performances
8 – Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano of Cuba v Korea on June 17
8 – Marek Beer of Czech Republic v Canada on June 19
8 – Seyed Mouravi Esaghi of Iran v Serbia on July 1
7 – Anton Kuznetsov of Kazakhstan v Chinese Taipei on June 18
7 – Luis Tomas Sosa Sierra of Cuba v Japan on June 18
7 – Jonathan Quijada of Venezuela v Mexico on June 25
7 – Alejandro Vigil of Spain v Kazakhstan on June 25
6 – Jasper Dieffenbach of Netherlands v Slovakia on June 17
6 – Omar Agrebi of Tunisia v Qatar on June 19
6 – Tomas Aguilera of Mexico v Montenegro on June 18
6 – Olli-Pekka Ojansivu of Finland v Korea on June 18
6 – Gojko Cuk of Montenegro v Spain on June 19
6 – Gojko Cuk of Montenegro v Tunisia on June 25
6 – Tommi Siiril of Finland v Turkey on June 25
6 – Ibrahim Ibrahim of Qatar v Greece on June 25
6 – Gojko Cuk of Montenegro v Mexico on June 26
6 – Graham Vigrass of Canada v Cuba on July 1
5 – Ibrahim Ibrahim of Qatar v Greece on June 26
5 – Abdellatif Ahmed of Egypt v Czech Republic on June 17
5 – Mateusz Bieniek of Poland v Bulgaria on June 17
5 – Eder Carbonera of Brazil v USA on June 18
5 – Enrico Cester of Italy v Australia on June 19
5 – Simon Van De Voorde of Belgium v France on June 19
5 – Filip Cveticanin of Portugal v Korea on June 25
5 – Raimi Wadidie of Qatar v Greece on June 25
5 – Tommi Siiril of Finland v Portugal on July 1
5 – Ricardo Calvo of Cuba v Canada on July 1
Top Team Blocking Performances
20 – Finland v Korea on June 18
20 – Montenegro v Tunisia on June 25
19 – Montenegro v Mexico on June 18
19 – Tunisia v Montenegro on June 25
17 – Cuba v Japan on June 18
17 – Qatar v Greece on June 25
16 – Cuba v Korea on June 17
16 – Montenegro v Spain on Jun 19
16 – Turkey v Finland on June 25
16 – Tunisia v Venezuela on June 26
16 – Finland v Japan on June 26
15 – Canada v Cuba on July 1
15 – Iran v Serbia on July 1
14 – Montenegro v Mexico on June 26
14 – Turkey v Portugal on June 17
14 – Kazakhstan v Chinese Taipei on June 18
14 – Netherlands v Portugal on June 18
14 – USA v Iran on June 17
14 – Czech Republic v Canada on June 19
14 – Finland v Portugal on July 1
13 – China v Korea on June 26
13 – Netherlands v Cuba on June 25
13 – Slovakia v Portugal on June 19
13 – Netherlands v Slovakia on June 17
13 – USA v Bulgaria on July 1
12 – USA v ITA on June 26
12 – Korea v Finland on June 18
12 – Brazil v USA on June 18
12 – Qatar v Tunisia on June 19
12 – Belgium v France on June 19
12 – Slovakia v Cuba on June 23
11 – Belgium v Australia on June 17
11 – Mexico v Montenegro on June 18
11 – Argentina v Iran on June 18
11 – Netherlands v Czech Republic on June 23
11 – Spain v Kazakhstan on June 25
11 – Cuba v Canada on July 1
11 – Serbia v Iran on July 1
10 – Korea v Cuba on June 17
10 – Portugal v Turkey on June 17
10 – Spain v Germany on June 18
10 – USA v Brazil on June 18
10 – Egypt v China on June 19
10 – Turkey v Netherlands on June 19
10 – Iran v Bulgaria on June 23
10 – Cuba v Slovakia on June 23
10 – The Netherlands v Egypt on July 1
10 – Brazil v Poland on July 1
10 – Italy v Argentina on July 1
Highest Scoring Sets
34-36 – Russia v France on June 24
32-34 – Russia v Serbia on June 17
33-31 – Cuba v Korea on June 17
31-29 – Tunisia v Montenegro on June 25
31-29 – Finland v Japan on June 26
30-28 – Chinese Tapai v Puerto Rico on June 17
30-28 – Cuba v Japan on June 18
30-28 – Portugal v Turkey on June 17
30-28 – Brazil v Poland on July 1
29-27 – Korea v Finland on June 18
29-27 – Belgium v Australia on June 17
29-27 – Puerto Rico v Kazakhstan on June 19
28-26 – Greece v Kazakhstan on June 17
28-26 – Germany v Spain on June 18
28-26 – Venezuela v Tunisia on June 17
28-26 – Brazil v Iran on June 16
28-26 – Kazakhstan v Chinese Taipei on June 18
28-26 – Egypt v China on June 19
28-26 – France v Belgium on July 1
Highest Scoring Matches
245 – Tunisia v Montenegro 3-2 (22-25, 25-27, 31-29, 26-24, 19-17) on June 25
228 – Finland v Korea 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 27-29, 19-25, 19-17) on June 18
223 – Cuba v Japan 3-2 (27-25, 21-25, 16-25, 30-28, 15-11) on June 18
219 – Portugal 2-3 Slovakia 2-3 (25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 23-25, 17-19) on June 19
218 – France v Argentina 2-3 (25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 27-25, 13-15) on June 25
217 – Montenegro v Spain 3-2 (25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13) on June 19
215 – Spain v Mexico 3-2 (25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 22-25, 15-12) on June 17
215 – Iran v Serbia 3-2 (18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14) on July 1
214 – Cuba v Korea 3-2 (33-31, 25-18, 14-25, 22-25, 15-6) on June 17
214 – Finland v Portugal 2-3 (25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 24-26, 12-15) on July 1
213 – Cuba v Czech Republic 2-3 (19-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-22, 11-15) on June 24
212 – Egypt v Czech Republic 3-2 (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22, 15-12) on June 17
209 – Czech Republic v Netherlands 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-11) on June 23
204 – Belgium v France 3-2 (13-25, 26-24, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12) on June 19