Italy Sweep Argentina as Cuba Secure VNL Survival
Italy swept Argentina to strengthen their Finals bid, while Cuba defeated Canada in straight sets to secure another VNL season.
Italy strengthened their position in the race for the 2026 VNL Finals with a 3–0 victory over Argentina in Osaka.
The Italians won all three sets by the same 25–22 score. Opposite Yuri Romanò led the match with 15 points, including one ace and one block. Mattia Bottolo added 13 points, while Germán Gómez scored 13 for Argentina.
Captain Simone Giannelli also reached 100 career VNL kill blocks during the opening set. He finished the match with three blocks and increased his career total to 102, an Italian record in the competition.
Earlier in Osaka, Cuba defeated Canada 3–0 to secure their place in next season’s VNL. The Cubans completed a 25–22, 25–21, 29–27 victory.
Miguel Ángel López led Cuba with 16 points, including 14 kills at 67% attack efficiency and two blocks. Marlon Yant contributed 14 points, while Skyler Varga scored 15 for Canada.
Cuba moved into 15th place with a 3–8 record. Canada remained 17th with one victory from 11 matches.
