The Ukrainian men's volleyball team continues its journey in the Volleyball Nations League. On Wednesday, July 15, the team will play its ninth match of the group stage. The opponent for the "blue-and-yellows" will be the Iranian national team. The match will take place in Belgrade, Serbia, and will start at 17:30 Kyiv time.
The Road to the Playoffs
At the start of the third week of the tournament, the Ukrainian team holds a confident fifth place in the standings. The players have 5 wins and 3 losses to their credit. This result already guarantees the team a spot in the tournament playoffs, where the top seven teams qualify. The only other team that has guaranteed itself a place in the final stage is China, which is hosting the playoffs.
The Ukrainian opponents, the Iranian national team, are ranked 15th in the table. Despite their lower position, the Iranians look like a dangerous opponent: in their last match, they defeated the Cuban national team, proving their resilience.
Squad Changes
The coaching staff, led by Raul Losano, has made several changes to the team roster compared to the previous stage. Two important players who missed the second week of the tournament due to their participation in the U-22 European Championship with the youth national team have returned to the squad:
- outside hitter Maksym Tonkonog;
- libero Yevhen Boyko.
There was also a rotation among the setters: Vitaliy Shchitkov replaced Oleksandr Nalozhny. These changes are aimed at strengthening the team's performance ahead of the decisive matches for a spot in the final stage.
Where to Watch the Match
A live broadcast of the match between the Ukrainian and Iranian national teams will be available on the "Suspilne Sport" TV channel and digital platforms. Fans will be able to follow the fight for a spot in the top 7 of the tournament live.
It was previously reported that thanks to successful performances in the current edition of the Volleyball Nations League, the Ukrainian men's national team has entered the top 10 strongest teams in the world for the first time in its history. The match in Belgrade will be an important step in consolidating this status.