Kyoto, Japan, May 16, 2025 – The highly-anticipated semifinals of the inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League are now set, as four powerhouses – Suntory Sunbirds Osaka, Osaka Bluteon, Al-Rayyan Sports Club of Qatar, and Foolad Sirjan Iranian – advanced with strong quarterfinal performances. All four teams are now just one win away from the prestigious continental title fight and one of two coveted berths at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Club World Championship.
The quarterfinals saw convincing victories across the board. Suntory Sunbirds Osaka emerged as the only team to maintain perfect records without dropping a single set.
Suntory Sunbirds Osaka
On Thursday at the Shamidzu Arena, the Sunbirds swept Muharraq Club of Bahrain 3-0, while Al-Rayyan eased past Aqtobe VC of Kazakhstan by the same scoreline.
Al-Rayyan Sports Club
Friday’s quarterfinals delivered more intense showdowns. Defending Asian Club champions Foolad Sirjan Iranian overcame a one-set deficit to defeat China’s Shanghai Bright Volleyball Club 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 28-26, 25-23).
Foolad Sirjan Iranian
Host team Osaka Bluteon earned a hard-fought 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-17, 25-15) win over Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima Qmin C VC.
Osaka Bluteon
A standout performance from Miguel Angel Castro Lopez and Yuji Nishida led the charge for Osaka Bluteon. Lopez scored a match-high 23 points from 19 kills, 3 blocks, and an ace, while Nishida added 21 points including 14 attacks, 4 aces, and 3 blocks. Shoma Tomita chipped in with 16 points.
For Nakhon Ratchasima, Uzbekistan’s Azizbek Kuchkorov led the scoring with 16 points, followed by Anurak Phanram (12 points) and Mongolian Tamiraa Khangal (10 points).
Following the match, Osaka Bluteon head coach Laurent Tillie said:
“It was a tough match. We started well, but the Thai team showed great quality in their passing, defense, and blocking, which put us under a lot of pressure. Fortunately, we managed to regroup and secure the win and that’s the most important thing. Now, we’ll return to the hotel to develop a solid game plan for facing the Iranian team. That will also be a very challenging match. Their level continues to rise, so we’ll need to study them closely and prepare accordingly.”
Earlier in the day, Foolad Sirjan Iranian displayed resilience and depth to overcome Shanghai Bright. Esfandiar Aminhossein led the scoring with 24 points from 19 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 aces, while Hajipour Moghadam Faroji added 20 points, including 18 kills. Wu Pengzhi led Shanghai Bright’s effort with 22 points.
“We made quite a few errors in transition and sideouts, but fortunately, we pulled through,” said Faroji, the 2025 Iran Volleyball Super League MVP. “Facing Osaka Bluteon in the semifinals will be another big challenge, but we aim to perform better tomorrow.”
With the elimination of Muharraq Club, Aqtobe VC, Shanghai Bright, and Nakhon Ratchasima, the stage is now set for two high-stakes semifinals. The winners will not only progress to the final of the AVC Men’s Champions League but also claim a ticket to the Club World Championship, scheduled for December, and a share of the tournament’s US$50,000 prize purse.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Semifinals
Saturday, May 17
• Al-Rayyan Sports Club (QAT) vs Suntory Sunbirds Osaka (JPN) – 12:05pm local time (UTC +3:05)
• Foolad Sirjan Iranian (IRI) vs Osaka Bluteon (JPN) – 4:05pm local time (UTC +7:05)
Click the link below for match schedule, results and photos
https://asianvolleyball.net/new/2025-avc-mens-champions-league/
QUICK LINKS
AVC Website: click www.asianvolleyball.net
AVC Facebook: click www.Facebook.com/AsianVolleyballConfederation
AVC Twitter: click: www.twitter.com/AsianVolleyball
AVC Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/avcvolley/?hl=en
Mikasa Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/mikasasports_official
AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.