Slovenia Edge Turkiye in Epic Three-Setter to Reach VNL Semis
Slovenia outlast Turkiye in a marathon three-set quarterfinal in Ningbo to reach the VNL semifinals for the fourth time.
Slovenia claimed the first semifinal spot at the men's Volleyball Nations League Finals with a 3-0 win over Turkiye in the opening quarterfinal in Ningbo, China, on Wednesday. Despite the straight-set scoreline, the match lasted over two hours, with sets decided 25-21, 35-33, and 39-37.
Turkiye led early in the first set but fell behind due to unforced errors, with Slovenia's Nik Mujanovic sealing it 25-21. The second set turned into a duel between Turkiye's Adis Lagumdzija and Slovenia's Rok Mozic, with Slovenia converting their 11th set point for a 35-33 win. In the third set, Turkiye erased a five-point deficit before Slovenia closed it out 39-37 on a Mujanovic block, after both teams wasted multiple match/set points.
Unforced errors proved decisive, with Turkiye committing 28 to Slovenia's 18. Mozic top-scored with 25 points, while Mujanovic added three blocks and two aces. For Turkiye, Lagumdzija scored 21 points, and substitute Gokcen Yuksel contributed 10 points after entering in the third set.
Slovenia will face the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal between Poland and Ukraine in the semifinals.
