Iran’s national volleyball team has pummeled Egypt to achieve its second victory in a row at the volleyball tournament in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Iranian volleyball squad blanked Egypt 3-0 (28-26, 25-22 and 25-16) in their penultimate Group B game at the preliminary round of the competitions at the indoor Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso arena in the northern Maracanã neighborhood of Rio.
“The team played better and we are happy to achieve the victory. There was a great deal of tension because we wanted to move to the quarterfinals, so this was an important match. We did our best to stay calm and play well, and it worked out for us,” Iran coach Raul Lozano said after the match.
“It really feels good to have won this match. We played a difficult game and it is worth celebrating because we have qualified to the quarterfinals. It is a major achievement since this is the first time that we have advanced to the quarterfinal round. This victory is a gift to all Iranians because they have supported us in both good and bad time,” Mahmoudi commented.
In other matches of the day, the Netherlands beat Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-14, 25-22 and 25-16), Russia blanked Japan 3-0 (25-14, 30-28, 25-18), and Brazil hammered South Korea 3-0 (25-17, 25-13 and 27-25).
Iran national volleyball team, which has already booked a place at the quarterfinal round of the Rio Olympic Games, will face Russia at its last preliminary round match at 10:30 p.m. Tehran time (1830 GMT) on Monday.
On Thursday morning, Iranian volleyball players overpowered their Cuban counterparts 3-0 (25-21, 31-29 and 25-16).
The volleyball tournament at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil started on August 6 and will finish on August 21.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is in Pool B with Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Poland and Russia.
Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico and the United States have been drawn in Pool A.