Team USA, Bulgaria clinch Round of 16 spots after turning back Portugal, Slovenia in FIVB Worlds

Team USA breezed past Portugal with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-17 Pool D victory on Monday night in the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Americans sealed their spot in the Round of 16 following dominant twin victories in the preliminary stage to collect all six points with no sets dropped yet.

After an opening-day 25-20, 25-21, 25-14 win against Colombia, Team USA had its balanced effort to rely on with the trio of Ethan Champlin, Gabriel Garcia, and Jordan Ewert leading the attack.

Champlin, who carried out a team-high 17 points against the Colombians, followed it up with a 10-point performance off eight kills and two aces.

For their parts, Garcia and Ewert provided 12 points each in the stunning victory that sent the Americans closer to the podium they last tasted in 2018.

Portugal, which needed an extra set to turn back Cuba in their opening clash, only had Lourenco Martins as its lone double-digit performer with 12 points.

Similarly, Bulgaria prevailed over Slovenia in a dramatic come-from-behind win, 19-25, 14-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-13 in Pool E after also a hard-fought 40-38, 25-22, 25-20 victory over world No. 10 Germany last Saturday. 

Bulgarian outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov dropped a game-high 26 points off 23 attacks, one block, and a pair of aces in the triumphant reverse sweep victory for his side.

With each win being thoroughly fought for, the Bulgarians are hoping to complete a sweep of the group stage for added boost as they take their five points to the next round.

Meanwhile, the Germans bounced back from their tightly-contested loss to Bulgaria and vented their ire on Chile, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21, also in Pool E.

German skipper György Grozer dropped 19 points highlighted by 17 attacks in the victory that kept his side in contention with three points, just one point separating them from Slovenians ahead.

The two teams arranged crucial match at the expense of each other on Wednesday with the emerging winner between their sides earning the last spot to the Round of 16.

Back in Pool D, Cuba finally barged into the win column against Colombia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, for its first three points in the standings following Osniel Lazaro Mergarejo Hernandez, Jose Masso, and Marlon Yant’s combined all-around efforts.

However, standing in the Cubans way is the second round-bound Americans in their last match in the group stage.

Should the Cubans lose the highly-anticipated match and the Portuguese eliminate the winless Colombians, Portugal will earn an outright berth to join the Americans to the next round.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News