Australian Volleyroos Book Quarterfinals Spot at AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental
The Australian Volleyroos have made a strong start at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental in Fukuoka, Japan, securing their place in the quarterfinal.
The tournament has plenty to play for, with an LA28 quota spot qualification up for grabs, along with the top three finishers automatically qualifying for the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup, another chance to qualify for the Olympics.
The Volleyroos opened their campaign with a strong defeat over Bahrain in game one, where the Australians won three sets, 3-0(25-20, 25-18, 25-21). Lorenzo Pope (VIC) led the way with 19 points, backing up 4 aces from the serve line, with 14 kills in his attack. Nehemiah Mote (NSW) was also influential, finishing the game with 11 points, and five of the team’s nine kill blocks. Lincoln Williams (QLD) also added to the team’s performance over Bahrain, adding 10 points.
Will D’Arcy (QLD), at 23 the youngest member of the team, was nominated for Play of the Day and reflected on drawing confidence from the team’s more experienced players.
“The older boys were able to help out and command the court and make the goals of the game really clear, and then sustain that throughout the whole game,” he said.
“There were some initial nerves, but I think it settled quickly. More exciting than nerves.”
“Pretty stoked afterwards to finish 3-0. It’s always good to win three.”
The team then delivered back to back wins with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-22) result over Oman. The victory, achieved without dropping a set the entire two matches, was enough to confirm Australia’s place in the quarterfinals.
Arshdeep Dosanjh (NSW) credited the team’s focus and discipline for the result.
“We had a job to do, and we went out there full focus, and we got it done, we’re pretty happy,” he said.
When looking ahead to a pool-deciding clash with hosts Japan, Dosanjh knew both sides would be fighting for top spot.
“We can expect a big fight from both teams. It’s for the top spot in the pool, which determines who we play in the quarterfinals. We are going to go out there, we’re going to go for the win, and we’ll see what happens.”
In the third and final game of the preliminary pool rounds, and in front of a passionate crowd of more than 6,500 Japanese fans at Kitakyushu City Gymnasium, the Volleyroos came up against the challenging home side. After a nailbiting close match, the final score was in Japan’s favour: 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-21).
D’Arcy and Pope were Australia’s top scorers on the night, with D’Arcy scoring 13 points and Pope adding 11.
The result saw Australia finish second in the Pool play, now confirming a place in the quarterfinal round, and still in the fight for the LA28 quota spot, and a place in the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup.
Quarterfinal Australia game times are currently TBC.
Schedule will be updated via this link: AVC Men’s Continantal | Japan Schedule
