Slovenia stuns defending champion France in VNL quarterfinals

NINGBO, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion France failed to advance to the semifinals after a 3-1 loss to Slovenia in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals on Thursday.

The teams had split previous encounters, with two-time Olympic gold medalist France sweeping Slovenia 3-0 during the Burgas leg of the VNL in late June. However, Olympic debutant Slovenia edged host France 3-2 in a group match at the Paris Olympics last year.

The opening set was tightly contested. With the score tied at 12-12, Slovenia went on a strong serving run, scoring four straight points to pull ahead and eventually take the set 25-22.

France responded in the second set with improved attack efficiency and strong execution, quickly building a comfortable lead and evening the match with a 25-15 win.

Momentum shifted again in the third set as France's unforced errors piled up. Slovenia capitalized with a decisive 12-4 run to win the set 25-19.

Facing elimination, France continued to struggle in the fourth set, while Slovenia maintained its rhythm and confidence to close out the match 25-18. The victory sets up a semifinal clash between Slovenia and Italy.

"We have to improve on a lot of things," said French captain Benjamin Toniutti. "Our reception wasn't good, and we made a lot of mistakes in serving. It just wasn't our day. We'll go back to France and work hard to prepare for the World Championship."

Slovenian captain Jan Kozamernik praised his team's composure. "I think today we showed the right attitude, how we stood on the court. And we were really decisive in the important moments. When we had the chances, we took the chances."

"It was unexpected for sure, even for us," added outside hitter Rok Mozic. "But we came from a good position, without pressure. We don't want to stop. We have two more games in front of us, and for sure we want to go home with a medal."

In Thursday's other quarterfinal, world No. 1 Poland defeated Japan 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-12) and will face Brazil in Saturday's semifinal. ■