Volleyball · International
Türkiye defeat Japan in straight sets in Men's Volleyball World Championship opener
Efe Mandıracı's five service aces helped Türkiye beat Japan 25–19, 25–23, 25–19 in the opening Pool G match in Quezon City.
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Türkiye upset the fifth-ranked team
Türkiye began the Men's Volleyball World Championship with a 3–0 victory over Japan on 13 September at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The Pool G match finished 25–19, 25–23, 25–19. Türkiye were ranked 16th and Japan fifth at the start of the tournament, making the result a significant opening-round upset.
Volleyball World's report identified the victory as Türkiye's first against Japan since 2016. The Turkish federation recorded a match duration of 82 minutes. Japan's own results page confirmed the same three-set defeat, while the official competition schedule placed the fixture at 14:00 local time on the tournament's opening weekend.
Serving and blocking make the difference
Türkiye led Japan seven to one in service aces, eight to six in scoring blocks and 37 to 33 in successful attacks. Efe Mandıracı produced five of those seven aces and finished with a match-high 17 points. His total also included two blocks, and one of his serves brought Türkiye to match point in the third set.
Adis Lagumdzija added 15 points, including three blocks and one ace, and scored the match-winning point. Japan's Kento Miyaura led his team with 13 points, while captain Yuki Ishikawa contributed 10, all from attacks. Türkiye also benefited from 23 opponent errors while conceding 21 of their own, according to the competition's match report.
A sweep with a close middle set
The scoreline combined two six-point set margins with a much tighter second period. Japan reached 23 in that set but could not extend the match, and Türkiye restored a clearer margin in the third. The official result therefore records a sweep in which Japan's strongest set still ended two points short.
Türkiye's starting lineup included Bedirhan Bülbül, Murat Yenipazar, Efe Mandıracı, Mert Matic, Adis Lagumdzija and Mirza Lagumdzija, with Berkay Bayraktar at libero. Their straight-set success was completed within 82 minutes at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, leaving Japan without a set from their opening fixture.
What the opening result meant for Pool G
The 2025 championship ran in the Philippines from 12 to 28 September. Japan's federation explained the format before the tournament: 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, with the top two in each group progressing to the round of 16. A straight-set opening win therefore gave Türkiye an important start in a short group phase. The knockout rounds would then progress through quarter-finals and semi-finals to the bronze-medal match and final, with each defeat ending the opportunity to win the championship.
Canada and Libya were the other Pool G teams. Japan's pre-tournament announcement listed Canada 11th and Libya 75th in the world rankings as of 12 September. The next scheduled matches on 15 September paired Türkiye with Libya and Japan with Canada. The opener left Japan needing a response in those remaining fixtures, while Türkiye had already secured a victory over the pool's highest-ranked side. Japan had named a 14-player squad before the championship began.
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