The Ukrainian volleyball team has claimed its fourth victory in the Nations League. The "blue and yellow" faced Japan – one of the top teams in the world (4th place in the world ranking) and a leader in the tournament standings.

The match concluded with a score of 3:2.

Japan could have left without winning a single set, as Ukraine was the first to reach a set point in the opening game. However, they failed to convert it and subsequently lost two points to their opponent.

In the second set, the "blue and yellow" retaliated and surprisingly defeated Japan with a comfortable margin. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Ukraine leading the score.

In the next round, the "blue and yellow" began to lead again, making it seem that Ukraine would easily win the match. However, midway through the fourth set, the new lineup of Japanese players restored parity. A tense battle concluded with Japan's victory.

Thus, everything was decided in the tiebreak, where Ukraine managed to snatch victory. Notably, Ilya Kovalov's performance in the first three sets was outstanding, contributing significantly to the team's score. However, he made several mistakes at crucial moments.

Nations League 2025
Group Stage, 7 Matches
June 27

Ukraine – Japan 3:2 (24:26, 25:17, 25:18, 23:25, 15:13)

It is worth noting that the Ukrainians defeated the USA, had a remarkable victory over Cuba, and left no chances for Turkey, but unfortunately lost to Brazil, Iran, and France. This is Ukraine's debut in the Nations League.

The next match for the "blue and yellow" will be on June 29 against Bulgaria. The full schedule of the Ukrainian team's games in the tournament can be found HERE.

As part of the preparation for LN-2025, the Ukrainian team played at the international Silesia Cup-2025 tournament. In the first round, Raul Lozano's team defeated Poland, in the second they lost to Germany, and in the third they were stronger than Bulgaria.