Volleyball
Gabi Garcia Leads USA to Quarterfinals with Win Over Slovenia at Volleyball World Championship
Gabi Garcia exploded for 26 points to power the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team to a 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-20) over Slovenia in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in Manila.
With the win, Team USA (4-0) advances to face unbeaten Bulgaria (4-0) in Thursday’s highly anticipated quarterfinal clash.
Slovenia, who defeated the U.S. earlier this year in the Volleyball Nations League, couldn’t match the Americans’ relentless serving and blocking. The U.S. dominated with a 12-2 advantage in aces and edged Slovenia 10-7 in blocks.
Garcia was unstoppable, tallying 15 kills, four blocks, and a tournament-leading seven aces. Ethan Champlin added 15 points, while Jordan Ewert contributed 14. Middle blockers Jeff Jendryk and Merrick McHenry chipped in eight points each. Slovenia’s top scorer was [Slovenian player name] with 18 points, followed by Nik Mujanović with 13.
Head coach Karch Kiraly praised his team’s grit: “We didn’t have everything going our way, but great teams find ways to win when it’s tough. I was impressed with how our guys kept pushing through.”
Now, the Americans turn their attention to Bulgaria, setting the stage for one of the tournament’s marquee quarterfinal matchups.
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