By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Crowd favorite Japan crashed out of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship after falling to Canada, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Monday, Sept. 15.
The loss marked Japan’s second straight in Pool G following a 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 setback against Turkey on Saturday, Sept. 13.
It also signaled the second consecutive edition in which the Japanese failed to advance to the next round, despite strong efforts from Ran Takahashi and Kento Miyaura, who paced the team with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Sharone Vernon-Evans and team captain Nicholas Hoag led the charge for Canada
with 14 and 13 points, respectively, as the team clinched its second straight win and secured a spot in the next stage.
Canada defeated Libya in a hard-fought match over the weekend, 22-25, 25-20, 25-12, 29-27.
Also advancing from Pool G is Turkey, which notched its second victory by dispatching Libya, 25-18, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16, earlier.
