Slovenia became the first team to book a spot in the Men's Volleyball Nations League 2026 semifinals, grinding out a stunning 3-0 victory over Turkey in a quarterfinal that carried the intensity — and duration — of a five-set epic on Wednesday in Ningbo Beilun, China.
The set scores — 25-21, 35-33, 39-37 — barely tell the story of a match that stretched well beyond two hours, defined by extraordinary rallies, blown set points on both sides, and composure under pressure from a Slovenia side playing in its third consecutive VNL Final Four.
Turkey, competing in its maiden VNL Finals appearance, pushed Slovenia to the limit. The first set saw the Turks control the early phase before a run of unforced errors allowed Slovenia to close it out at 25-21 on a strike from young opposite Nik Mujanovic. The second set turned into a classic: Slovenia squandered 10 set points before a Turkish attack sailed wide to hand them the set 35-33.
The third set was even more remarkable. Turkey erased a five-point deficit (19-14) behind a decisive shift from substitute Gokcen Yuksel. The teams traded match points deep into overtime — Slovenia failed to convert on their first three opportunities, while Turkey squandered 11 set points of their own. Finally, Mujanovic sealed the marathon with a monster block on Slovenia's fourth match point, closing the set 39-37 and the match 3-0.
Unforced errors proved decisive: Turkey committed 28 against Slovenia's 18. Rok Mozic led all scorers with 25 points (58% kill rate), while Mujanovic delivered three blocks and two aces. For Turkey, Adis Lagumdzija posted 21 points, Kaan Tumer added 11 (three blocks), and Yuksel finished with 10.
"It felt like a five-set match. I was already tired in the third," Mozic said after the win. Lagumdzija added: "We did an incredible job, but silly errors decided it."
Slovenia now await the winner of the Poland-Ukraine quarterfinal in Saturday's semifinal. This marks the third consecutive VNL semifinal appearance for the Slovenian men — and fourth overall — cementing their status as a perennial contender in international volleyball.
Sources
- iVolley Magazine: https://www.ivolleymagazine.it/2026/07/29/pallavolo-vnl-m-la-slovenia-batte-la-turchia-in-un-epico-3-0-ed-e-la-prima-semifinalista-a-ningbo/
