Turkiye shocks volleyball world with perfect Pool G sweep
The world No. 16 squad announced its arrival with a stunning sweep of then-No. 5 Japan in its pool play opener, setting the tone for what would become a dominant run. That upset, followed by a gritty 3-1 victory over Libya and a clinical 25-21, 25-16, 27-25 sweep of world No. 7 Canada, catapulted Turkiye to the top of Pool G.
For head coach Slobodan Kovac, the mission has been clear from the beginning: to prove that Turkiye is far from ordinary.
Even with qualification for the Round of 16 already secured before facing Canada, Kovac refused to let his players relax, applying relentless pressure and insisting that every match carried weight. Not just for positioning, but also for valuable ranking points.
That demanding approach has rubbed off on his players, particularly opposite spiker Adis Lagumdzija.
Against Canada, Lagumdzija hammered 14 points, embodying the competitive fire Kovac has instilled. The towering hitter admitted that while they expected a grueling challenge from Japan in the opener, sweeping the Asian powerhouse became the confidence boost that fueled their run through pool play.
