Argentina moved closer to clinching a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship after defeating South Korea in four sets, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18, during Pool C action at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
The world No. 9 Argentines endured an error-prone game, giving away easy points—most notably late in the second set when Korea was at set point and Pablo Kukartsev hit the antenna, gifting the Koreans their first set win of the tournament.
Fortunately for Argentina, they recovered with superior attacking and powerful serves. The team fired booming aces—including two crucial points in the fourth set—that helped them seize a 16-12 lead.
That cushion proved enough for the Argentines to finish off their Asian rivals, with Agustin Loser closing the set with a thunderous hit.
Kukartsev led Argentina with 21 points, putting the team on the cusp of advancing to the next round. Argentina had finished eighth overall in the last edition of the World Championship.
For South Korea, Heo Subong continued to lead the team with 17 points in the losing effort.
“I think Korea played really good defense. They put a lot of pressure on us in the first two sets. We made a few mistakes at the beginning, but we moved forward and got the result. I think there are no easy matches in this tournament, so it’s normal,” said Argentina captain Luciano Palonsky.
Argentina will face two-time Olympic champion France in its final pool match on Thursday, September 18, also at the Big Dome.
South Korea, meanwhile, will seek its first preliminary-round win against Finland on the same day in an earlier match.
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