XI'AN, China, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Japan secured its second victory at the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Xi'an leg on Friday, defeating Serbia 3-0.
Japan started strong, quickly building a 6-2 lead. Although Serbia managed to tie the score at 15-15 with powerful attacks, Japan responded by taking three straight points to regain control. Two service errors by Serbia at the end of the set handed Japan a 25-20 win.
Japan continued to deliver stable serving in the second set, while Serbia struggled with seven service errors. Taking advantage of these mistakes, Japan closed out the set 25-23.
The third set was fierce, with both teams locked at 24-24. Serbia's 18-year-old Nikola Brboric made a service error, gifting Japan match point. Japan finally sealed the win 26-24 with a strong block.
"Although we lost to Poland yesterday, today we stayed focused, especially at the end of the match. We did great," said Japan's Kento Miyaura, who led all scorers with 19 points. "As you know, our famous players did not come, but our young players played very well. It's very nice."
In another match, the Netherlands defeated Türkiye 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23) to claim its first win of the tournament.
China will face the Netherlands on Saturday, while Türkiye will take on Poland. ■
