Osaka, Japan, May 13, 2025 – The stage is set for the knockout phase of the inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals, to be held at the 8,635-seater Shimadzu Arena Kyoto from May 15–18.
After three days of intense pool play concluded on Tuesday at Panasonic Arena in Osaka, the top two teams from each group earned their spots in the quarterfinals, while the third-place finishers were eliminated from the tournament.
Quarterfinal Matchups:
Suntory Sunbirds (JPN, Pool A winners) vs Muharraq Club (BRN, Pool D runners-up)
Aqtobe VC (KAZ, Pool A runners-up) vs Al-Rayyan Sports Club (QAT, Pool D winners)
Foolad Sirjan Iranian (IRI, Pool C winners) vs Shanghai Bright VC (CHN, Pool B runners-up)
Osaka Bluteon (JPN, Pool B winners) vs Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC (THA, Pool C runners-up)
Eliminated Teams:
Queensland Pirates (AUS), Cignal HD Spikers (PHI), Taichung Bank (TPE), and Sport Training Center3 (VIE) all finished third in their respective pools and have exited the competition.
Sunbirds, Al-Rayyan, Foolad Sirjan and Bluteon Finish Pool Stage Unbeaten
Japan’s powerhouse Suntory Sunbirds Osaka clinched the top spot in Pool A with a dominant 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-19) victory over Kazakhstan’s Aqtobe.
Veteran middle blocker Dmitriy Muserskiy led all scorers with 16 points (12 attacks, 4 blocks), while Alain De Armas and Ran Takahashi contributed 14 and 9 points, respectively. Nikita Shvalev posted 9 points in a losing effort for Aqtobe, which nonetheless advanced to the quarterfinals.
In Pool B, Shanghai Bright VC bounced back from their opening loss to Osaka Bluteon with a convincing 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-18) win over the Philippines’ Cignal HD Spikers.
Xiu Chengcheng led the charge with 15 points, supported by Polish star Michal Kubiak and Wang Bohan with 10 points each. Steven Charles Rotter and Louie Ramirez both tallied 11 points for Cignal, which were unable to secure a win in the group stage.
Al-Rayyan Sports Club of Qatar delivered one of the tournament’s most commanding performances, dismantling Vietnam’s Sport Training Center3 in straight sets (25-11, 25-15, 25-21).
Star opposite Noumory Keita was unstoppable, racking up 22 points (17 attacks, 5 aces). Dutchman Nimir Abdel-Aziz and Slovenian Tine Urnaut added 17 and 11 points, respectively. Tran Duy Tuyen scored 10 for the Vietnamese side, who finished winless.
In the day’s opening clash, Foolad Sirjan Iranian swept Taichung Bank of Chinese Taipei 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-13) to top Pool C with five points.
France’s Earvin Ngapeth and Iranian opposite Delavari Mohsen led with 15 points apiece. Middle blocker Javier Octavio Concepcion chipped in 13, while Aliireza Abdolhamidi added 11. Foolad’s tactical superiority and offensive depth proved too much for the Taiwanese side, who exit the tournament winless.
Wednesday, May 14, serves as a rest and travel day, as teams relocate to Shimadzu Arena Kyoto, the host venue for the quarterfinal and final rounds.
Two quarterfinal duels – Suntory Sunbirds (A1) vs Muharraq Club (D2) and Aqtobe (A2) vs Al-Rayyan Sports Club (D1) – are scheduled for May 15 and two more on May 16 – Foolad Sirjan Iranian (C1) vs Shanghai Bright VC (B2) and Nakhon Ratchasima Qmin C VC (C2) vs Osaka Bluteon (C1). Semifinals will be held on May 17, followed by the bronze and gold medal matches on May 18.
The inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League, hosted across two cities in Japan, has already showcased some of Asia’s and the world’s top talent, with the knockout stage promising even higher levels of intensity and drama.
Click the link below for match schedule, results and photos
https://asianvolleyball.net/new/2025-avc-mens-champions-league/
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