Ukraine Surprises Again in Men’s VNL, Defeating World Champions

Ljubljana, MINA – For the second consecutive day, Ukraine stole the show in the men’s Volleyball Nations League 2026 by pulling off a major upset. After defeating Brazil in four sets on Wednesday, they pulled off another stunning victory over defending world champion Italy on Thursday, this time with a resounding victory in three straight sets.

In the day’s opening match in Ljubljana, Ukraine, last year’s VNL newcomers, dominated the match 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, and 25-16) against the mighty Italy, improving their win-loss record to 4-2 and collecting 13 points.

Ukraine jumped to fourth place in the current VNL standings. Meanwhile, world champion Italy, who lost their second consecutive match, dropped to seventh with a 3-3 record and 10 points, just above the cutoff for the Finals.

Opposite Vasyl Tupchii recorded a 67% attack success rate and scored two blocks and one ace for a total of 15 points, sharing the top scorer title with outside hitter Oleh Plotnytskyi, who had three aces and one block kill, and hit a 52% smash success rate.

Read Also: Malaysia vs Vietnam: Substitute’s Goal Earns Malayan Tigers Bronze at 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup

Outside hitter Mattia Bottolo, Italy’s top scorer with 11 points, said, “This is a big lesson for us. You can lose against any team, and it shows how strong these teams really are.” []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

Read Also: Iran Clinches Gold in 2026 Asian Games Men’s Volleyball After Defeating Japan on Home Soil