Day 3 of the 2024 WPV Sitting Volleyball Final Qualifier for Men, presented by Delin Company, unfolded with exciting showdowns at the Dali International Olympic Sports Centre on Friday.
In a gripping encounter between China and Poland, the home team opened the day with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 25-20) win against the visiting side.
The Chinese team showed determination, bouncing back from their previous setback against Ukraine on Thursday. China relentlessly performed, sealed the crucial win in front of their home crowd.
Meanwhile, in a nail-biting clash between the United States and Ukraine, the former staged a remarkable comeback to snatch a 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13) victory.
The match reached a crescendo in the fifth set with the USA trailing behind Ukraine’s 13-12 lead. However, a resilient display of skill and teamwork saw USA turn the tables, with Eric Duda delivering the decisive point that sealed match victory. With this win, USA extended their unbeaten streak in the competition to three.
After Iraq’s defeat against USA on Thursday, they bounced back with an impressive performance, overpowering Japan in commanding fashion. The Iraqis showcased their strong spirit against the Japanese with a winning scoreline of 3-0 (25-21, 25-8, 28-26).
The final match of the day saw Croatia and Canada going through a rollercoaster clash of intensity and composure. Canada claimed an early lead with a solid win in the first set, but Croatia swiftly countered with a matching victory in the second frame.
The battled raged on as Canada narrowly edged past Croatia in the third set, only for Croatia to mount a spectacular comeback in the fourth, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Tensions roared as the match hung in the balance, but Canada’s resilience shone through. With a remarkable scoring run and a crucial penalty in their favour, they seized the fifth set, clutching a hard-fought 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-13) victory.
