Australian Volleyroos Set Up Bronze Medal Showdown After Semi Final Loss to Iran

The Australian Volleyroos’ gold medal hopes at the AVC Men’s Volleyball Asian Championship came to an end on Saturday, going down 3-1 (25-21, 17-25, 25-17, 25-22) to Iran in a hard-fought semifinal in Fukuoka, Japan.

The Volleyroos pushed the western Asian powerhouse deep into a fourth set, hitting back after dropping the opener to level the tie with a strong second-set win, before Iran regrouped to close out the match in four.

Lorenzo Pope (VIC) again led the way for the Volleyroos, finishing with 18 points including two blocks. Opposite Lincoln Williams (QLD) backed him up with 16 points, adding two blocks and two aces of his own.

The results will see Iran play hosts Japan in the final. For Australia, the campaign isn’t over yet. The Volleyroos now turn their attention to Sunday’s bronze medal match against Korea, with the winner claiming the tournament’s third and final World Cup qualification spot.

The bronze medal match and gold medal final are streamed live and on demand via VBTV at 4:30pm AEST.

Find the schedule and results here: AVC Men’s Continantal | Japan Schedule