Iran volleyball team overwhelms China 3-2 in Rio 2016 qualifier

Iran’s national volleyball team has got one step closer to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a last-gasp win over the strong-minded Chinese team at the Men’s World Olympic Qualification Tournament.

The Iranian outfit exhibited another major hit at the world-class Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in the Japanese capital on Thursday, and trounced China 3-2 (26-24, 22-25, 25-19, 17-25 and 18-16) in the fifth day of the international sports event.

Practically both teams were neck-and-neck for the first few minutes of the game, as its significance and final outcome prompted Iranian and Chinese volleyball players to make calculated moves.

The Persians, who were fielded by Saeid Marouf, Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Shahram Mahmoudi, Farhad Ghaemi, Milad Ebadipour and Farhad Zarif, did not seem to be capitulating, and raced out to an 8-7 lead at the first technical timeout of the first set.

The Chinese sportsmen, though, came from behind and managed to level the score at 14-14 afterwards.

Iranian volleyball players did not relinquish later on, and featured praiseworthy offense and defense to close the first set at 26-24.

The Iranian team maintained its composure after the break, and got off to a commendable start, before both teams went into the first technical timeout 8-5.

The players continued to present good serves and attacks and went on earning points, until their Chinese counterparts took the lead and entered the second technical timeout 16-14. The Chinese finally grabbed the second set 25-22.

The Persians began the third set energetically. They kept on notching up points as both sides went into the first technical timeout 8-6.

The Iranians then sought to extend the deficit, but the Chinese were tailing them point by point. Iran was 12-11 ahead at the second technical time out. The Iranian team ultimately pulled out to a 25-19 victory.

Chinese volleyball players put right their mistakes in the fourth set, and surged ahead to claim the set 25-17.

The Iranian gained the momentum back in the decider, when Argentine coach Raúl Lozano fielded 24-year-old Mojtaba Mirzajanpour. They finished a thrilling contest in the fifth set on top 18-16 and won the match.

The national Iranian men’s volleyball team is scheduled to face Poland on Saturday in its sixth match.

The Men’s World Olympic Qualification Tournament kicked off in Tokyo on May 28 and will run through June 5.

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