Iranian Volleyball Players Among Top Performers in 2025 VNL Preliminary Round
Tehran - BORNA - Under the guidance of new head coach Roberto Piazza, Iran’s national team showed promising progress compared to previous seasons. The team secured six victories and finished eighth overall, just missing out on a place in the final round.
Meanwhile, powerhouse teams such as Brazil, Poland, Italy, France, Japan, Cuba, and Slovenia advanced to the finals, alongside China, the designated host nation.
Arshia Behnejad Shines as a Top Setter
Arshia Behnejad, the young setter who played a central role for Iran throughout the tournament, ranked fourth among the best setters in the entire VNL preliminary round—a remarkable achievement for a debutant.
Sharifi and Hossein-Khanzadeh Lead in Service Points
Morteza Sharifi, Iran’s outside hitter, recorded 18 direct aces, placing him third among the best servers. He also ranked eighth among the top receivers, demonstrating his all-around impact on the court.
Pouria Hossein-Khanzadeh followed closely with 15 service points, ranking sixth among the best servers.
Esmaeilnezhad Among Top Scorers
Iran’s star opposite Amin Esmaeilnezhad led the national team with 158 total points, earning the 13th spot among the tournament’s top scorers. He also ranked 13th in attack points, registering 139 points through spikes.
Strong Showing in Defense by Young Talent
In the blocking department, Seyed Isa Naseri impressed in his first VNL campaign, recording 20 points to place 12th among the top blockers—the highest-ranked Iranian in that category.
VNL 2025 Statistical Highlights: Iranian Players
Top Scorers (Total Points)
Marlon Yant Herrera (Cuba) – 237
Theo Faure (France) – 225
Philipp John (Germany) – 210
Amin Esmaeilnezhad (Iran) – 158
Morteza Sharifi (Iran) – 123
Best Blockers
Yurii Semeniuk (Ukraine) – 37
Aleksandar Nedeljković (Serbia) – 35
Agustin Loser (Argentina) – 34
Seyed Isa Naseri (Iran) – 20
Mohammad Valizadeh (Iran) – 14
Best Servers
Ramazan Efe Mandiraci (Turkey) – 26
Theo Faure (France) – 21
Dmytro Yanchuk (Ukraine) – 18
Morteza Sharifi (Iran) – 18
Alessandro Michieletto (Italy) – 18
Pouria Hossein-Khanzadeh (Iran) – 15
Amin Esmaeilnezhad (Iran) – 11
Best Setters
Fernando Gil Kreling (Brazil)
Matías Sánchez (Argentina)
Murat Yenipazar (Turkey)
Simone Giannelli (Italy)
Arshia Behnejad (Iran)
Javad Karimi (Iran)
Best Receivers
Thijs ter Horst (Netherlands)
Maik Nascimento (Brazil)
Leonard Graven (Germany)
Morteza Sharifi (Iran)
Arman Salehi (Iran)
Best Diggers
Maik Nascimento (Brazil)
Oleksandr Boiko (Ukraine)
Tomohiro Ogawa (Japan)
Mohammadreza Hazratpour (Iran)
Amin Esmaeilnezhad (Iran)
Arman Salehi (Iran)
Iran’s performance in the 2025 VNL signals a positive trajectory for the team’s next generation of talent, with multiple players proving their potential on the global stage.
End of report
