The FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League 2026 continues in Ningbo Beilun, China, on July 29, with two men’s matches set to close out the day’s action. Following a busy stretch of international volleyball in the same venue, the spotlight turns to a pair of intriguing contests that blend recent history with contrasting recent form.
Slovenia vs Türkiye (14:00, Ningbo Beilun, China):
Slovenia and Türkiye meet for the second time this month, with Slovenia having taken a 3-1 victory in their most recent encounter on July 18. That win extended Slovenia’s strong recent head-to-head form, as they also swept Türkiye 3-0 in the 2025 VNL. Slovenia enter this fixture on a three-match unbeaten run, having defeated Serbia and Iran in straight sets in their last two outings. Türkiye, meanwhile, come off a 3-1 win over Brazil in their most recent Women’s VNL match—a different tournament—but will be looking to reverse their men’s team’s fortunes after that July 18 defeat.
Japan vs China (18:30, Ningbo Beilun, China):
Japan and China renew their rivalry after Japan’s 3-1 victory in the 2026 VNL on June 13, which continued Japan’s dominant run in recent men’s head-to-head meetings—including a 3-0 sweep in the 2025 VNL. Japan arrive with momentum from two consecutive men’s wins, including a 3-0 shutout of Argentina and a 3-0 sweep of Belgium in their last two matches. China’s most recent men’s result is that loss to Japan, but they have shown resilience in other competitions, notably a 3-2 victory over the USA in the Women’s VNL on July 23, though their men’s side will be aiming for a different outcome on home soil.