Perugia and Halkbank progress to semi-finals with mixed results at the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Club World Championship

Sir Safety Conad Perugia and Halkbank Spor Kulübü both progressed to the semi-finals of the the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Club World Championship, but with mixed results, as the title holders swept their opponents to the first place, while the Turkish side finished second, with a spot guaranteed for European team in the final.

Sir Safety Conad Perugia are still on the track to become the first team to secure back-to-back titles since 2016, as they held some firepower in the pool matches, which they have gone to win in straight sets.

First, they took a clear 3:0 win against Itambé Minas, as opposite hitter Kamil Semeniuk dominated the Brazilian side with 11 points, helping Perugia seal a 25:18, 26:24, 25:22 win in the Italian’s side opener in Bengaluru, India.

Facing a rookie in the second match, Perugia pulled no punches and delivered the clearest win of the pool phase of the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Club World Championship 2023, 3:0 (25:18, 25:19, 25:11), agains Ahmedabad Defenders, with Cuban opposite spiker Jaime Jesus Herrera leading the pack with 17 points.

Brazilian side Itambé Minas finished second in the pool, after taking a 3:0 win (25:22; 25:23; 25:19) in the game against the Indian hosts, also making it to the semi-finals.

No team remained undefeated in a well-balanced Pool B, with Japanese side Suntory Sunbirds, Halkbank Spor Kulübü and Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei each taking one win, but only the first two sides progressed to the next phase of the competition.

Making their debut in the competition, the reigning Asian champions, the Sunbirds, opened their account with a 3:0 (25:23; 25:23; 25:16) huge win against Halkbank, as Cuban outside hitter Alain Junior ‘AJ’ De Armas was a key player in his team’s big win, leading all scorers with 15 points.

That meant that Halkbank needed a win against Sada Cruzeiro in the last match to progress to the next phase. Focused and sharp, the Turkish powerhouse bounced back and clinched a 3:0 win, sweating seriously in the first and the third set, which they took 26:24 and 28:26 respectively.

Olympic champion Earvin Ngapeth led the charge with 16 points, closely followed by captain Abdel-Aziz Nimir, with 14 points, as the straight sets win was enough for the Turkish side to clinch the second place.

In the last game, the Sunbirds conceded a 2:3 loss against Sada Cruzeiro, but it was too little too late for the Brazilian side, which finished third and was eliminated, as they had a two-points tally, one less than Halkbank and two less than the Japanese side.

As Perugia and Halkbank finished first and second, they will face off in the semi-finals on Saturday, which ensures that one European side will be in the final, extending Perugia’s chances to clinch the 12th title in 18 editions for Italian sides.

In the other semi-final, the Suntory Sunbirds are due to face Itambé Minas, after having previously lost against the other Brazilian side in the competition.