Ukraine beats Iran 3–1 in Volleyball Nations League match
Ukraine’s national volleyball team defeated Iran in its opening match of the final week of the Volleyball Nations League.
Censor.NET reports this, citing the tournament results.
Confident performance after difficult start
The match ended 3–1 in Ukraine’s favour. The opening set proved difficult for the team. Vasyl Tupchii, one of Ukraine’s leading players, struggled and also suffered a bloody nose after being hit by the ball. At the same time, Ukraine benefited from more frequent errors by its opponents to win the set.
Raul Lozano’s team controlled the second set. Ukraine performed better on serve and at the net, securing a convincing win.
"The match ended 3–1"
Even contest and decisive run
The next set was evenly contested. Iran managed to level the play and snatch the set after a tense finish, despite Ukraine having several opportunities to close out the match.
Ukraine played confidently in the fourth set. With the score tied at 9–9, the Ukrainians pulled away. Illia Kovalov’s performance and a serving run by Tupchii, who delivered four consecutive aces, proved decisive.
Illia Kovalov was the match’s top scorer, recording 22 points and setting a personal season high.
The 2026 Volleyball Nations League match took place on 15 July and ended 25–22, 25–21, 29–31, 25–19.
During the tournament’s second week, Ukraine lost to Bulgaria after previously defeating Brazil, Italy and Canada. The team finished the second week in fifth place and has already secured its participation in next season’s tournament.
Ukraine currently has 19 points and remains in contention for a playoff berth. The national team sits fourth in the Volleyball Nations League standings. Matches against Serbia, Türkiye and Germany lie ahead.
