Quezon city: World No. 1 Poland had a challenging start but ultimately overcame Romania, 34-32, 25-15, 25-19, during the FIVB Men's World Championship at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday. Back with the national team after missing the Volleyball Nations League, Polish captain and star opposite Bartosz Kurek contributed 13 points through 10 kills, two blocks, and an ace. Outside hitters Wilfredo León and Tomasz Fornal added 14 and 10 points, respectively. According to Philippines News Agency, the victory placed Poland at the top of Pool B, surpassing the Netherlands, who defeated Qatar but had a lower set ratio. The top two teams from each group after three matches will advance to the elimination rounds. Romania's Adrian Aciobani?ei was the team's leading scorer with 11 points, outperforming teammate Mircea Pe?a. Meanwhile, upsets occurred at the Mall of Asia Arena, where Portugal defeated Cuba and Bulgaria triumphed over Germany in their respective matches. Team USA secured a 25-20, 25-21, 25-14 win agains t Colombia in Pool D. Captain Micah Christenson commented on the strong start and the team's maturity in handling Colombia's challenging moments. Slovenia also achieved a convincing victory over Chile in Pool E, with top performances from Toncek Štern and Nik Mujanovic. Additionally, Turkey achieved a notable win over Japan in Pool G, marking their first victory against the team since 2016. Adis Lagumdzija expressed delight over the win, especially in front of a Japanese-supporting crowd.
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