Manila, Sept. 23 -- Iran defended the Asian glory in the last 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship here on Tuesday, coming back twice to defeat Serbia 3-2 and settingup a quarterfinal clash against Czechia, who dominated Tunisia in straight sets.
In the two most recent editions of the Volleyball Nations League, Serbia and Iran each secured one victory.
Serbia opened the match with 25-23, before Iran got back on level terms 25-19. Although the Serbians pushed hard to restore the lead in the following set with 26-24, its opponent showed tenacity to drag the game into after a 25-22 win.
In the decisive fifth set, Iran surged ahead with a 4-1 run and maintained the lead to clinch a 15-9 victory. Iran's effective offense yi...