MANILA, Philippines—Team Rebisco lost to Iranian champion Sirjan Foulad, 25-15, 25-22, 25-5, in its opening match in the 2021 AVC Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship Friday in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Sirjan Foulad, which won its first Iranian Super League this year, was on point at the start of the third set, burying Rebisco 9-0 from the get-go.
Team Rebisco failed to carry its momentum from the second set where it fought back from an 18-12 deficit to get to within one, 23-22, courtesy of Joshua Umandal’s two straight kills.
The Filipinos will next face Uzbekistan’s AGMK on Saturday at 11 am (Manila time).
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals while the two worst teams of each group will duke it out in the 9th to 10th classification match.
The middle teams of each group, 3rd and 4th, will also play in a knockout round for the 5th to 8th spots.