Türkiye survived a third-set scare from Canada to complete a 25-21, 25-16, 27-25 sweep and claim the top seed in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
World No. 16 Türkiye rode its momentum after a steady opener, pulling away with a dominant second set before fending off a late push in the third to blank No. 8 Canada and advance to the Round of 16 with a flawless 3-0 record—dropping only a single set along the way.
Adis Lagumdzija led the Turkish spikers with 15 points, while Efe Mandiraci added 12 points in the win. Türkiye now braces for a clash against the loser of the battle for the No. 1 spot in Pool B between Poland and the Netherlands in the next phase.
Canada settled for second place with a 2-1 record and will face the top-ranked team in Pool B in the Round of 16.
“We came here to compete. I think we showed that. We showed that we can compete with the best teams. We knew that already, and this is the confirmation of it,” said Lagumdzija, whose team also beat higher-ranked Japan and Libya in the group stage.
Türkiye faced stiff resistance from Canada in the third set, as the visitors breathed life into their top-seed hopes. Team captain Nicholas Hoag powered a 6-1 run that erased a 15-20 deficit, leveling the score at 21-all.
Both sides traded points before Hoag once again took control, hammering down a back-row attack that bounced off Mandiraci’s hands, pushing Canada to set point with a 24-23 advantage.
However, Xander Ketrzynski committed a crucial service error that tied the game at 24, allowing Bedirhan Bülbül to deliver an emphatic block on Sharone Vernon-Evans and give Türkiye a 25-24 lead.
Mirza Lagumdzija then fumbled his service attempt, sending the game to another deuce, but Bülbül and Mandiraci saved the day with a quick attack and an off-the-block hit, respectively, to put the Canadians away for good after an hour and 17 minutes of action.
“There’s no team that can beat us in our minds. We just need to push. We play physical volleyball. When we defend and block like we did today, there’s no team we cannot beat,” added Lagumdzija.
Bülbül finished with nine points on four attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace, while Mirza Lagumdzija also had nine points on seven attacks and two rejections.
For Canada, Hoag, Vernon-Evans, and Fynn McCarthy each registered nine points in the team’s first loss of the tournament.
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