Osaka, Japan – May 12, 2025 – Hefty Castro Lopez Miguel Angel delivered a standout performance with a match-high 22 points to lead Osaka Bluteon to a dominant 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) victory over China’s Shanghai Bright in Pool B of the inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League at Panasonic Arena on Monday.
With this decisive win, the host team completed their round-robin preliminaries at the top of Pool B, collecting the maximum six points from two straight-set victories. Shanghai Bright will now face the Cignal HD Spikers of the Philippines, which also lost in straight sets to Osaka Bluteon on the opening day, on Tuesday at 15:05 local time in a battle for the remaining quarterfinal berth from the pool.
Lopez, the 28-year-old Cuban outside hitter, proved unstoppable throughout the match, racking up 22 points from 17 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces. Japanese internationals Shoma Tomita and left-hander Yuji Nishida added 14 and 11 points respectively to Osaka’s tally. For Shanghai, Polish veteran Michal Kubiak led the scoring with 9 points, all from attacks, while 200cm-tall Xiu Chengcheng contributed 7 points, including 6 kills.
“I’m very happy with our win today and proud to have contributed to the team’s success,” said Lopez. “We need to keep this momentum going.”
Head coach Laurent Tillie also praised his team’s effort: “We’re very happy to win this match and qualify for the quarterfinals. We don’t know our next opponent yet, but we must stay prepared. Shanghai Bright is a strong team, but we made the difference through our blocking and defensive strategies.”
The opening set was evenly matched, with both teams displaying solid defense and teamwork. Neither side led by more than a single point until 18-18, when Lopez broke the deadlock with two consecutive aces. With nerves beginning to show on the Shanghai side, Nishida sealed the set with a thunderous spike.
In the second set, Osaka seized control early, with Lopez dazzling the home crowd with his aggressive and precise attacks. Supported by Tomita and Nishida, the hosts tore through the Shanghai defense. Though Kubiak and Wu Pengzhi attempted a comeback, their resistance was short-lived as Osaka pulled away to take the set comfortably.
Shanghai Bright showed resilience in the third set, staying within reach of the Japanese squad. But Lopez once again proved the difference-maker, delivering powerful spikes that kept Shanghai on the back foot. Despite their efforts, the Chinese side could not halt Osaka’s momentum, as the home team closed out the match in straight sets.
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