Argentina’s national volleyball team has defeated the Iranian side with a straight-set win in its opening match at the preliminary round of the volleyball tournaments in the ongoing 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On Sunday, the Argentine squad defeated Iran 3-0 (25-23, 26-24 and 25-18) in a Pool B match held at the indoor Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso arena in the northern Maracanã neighborhood of Rio.

Iran’s Argentine coach Raul Lozano fielded captain Saeid Marouf, Shahram Mahmoudi, Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, Hamzeh Zarini, Milad Ebadipour, Mehdi Marandi and Adel Gholami in the initial line-up, hoping to capture the victory for his team in the opener.

The players from both teams looked self-assured and clear-thinking as they showed up for the challenge.

The Persians started the match strongly and managed to take an early lead over the Argentineans, before the South Americans sprang into action and slammed fine spikes and blocked the balls well to put themselves ahead.

The first set went to a tiebreaker as both teams shared points at 23. Argentine players closed out the set at 25-23 at last.



[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"] The photo shows a view of the Pool B match between Iran (players in red) and Argentina at the preliminary round of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 7, 2016.[/caption]

Argentinean sportsmen kept up the momentum as the game extended into the second set, and recorded a four-point advantage (6-2) before Iran’s head coach called for a timeout to stop the opposite side from earning more points.

Lozano’s decision proved effective and the Iranian squad could level the score at 8-8 afterwards.

Later on, Iran’s 28-year-old Farhad Ghaemi hit a number of good serves that went over the net and landed on Argentina’s court to place his team 16-15 ahead. It was the Argentinean team, though, that powered through and claimed the second set by 26 points to 24 in the end.

Iran’s coach introduced two substitutes at the start of the third set to reverse the course in the face of Argentina’s powerful performance.

The Persians were up 8-5 when Argentine player Cristian Poglajen struck a string of serves and the South Americans entered the first technical timeout 9-8.

The Argentineans then took up the last remaining opportunities to surge ahead and finish 25-18.



[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Argentinean volleyball players celebrate after winning the Pool B match against Iran at the preliminary round of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 7, 2016.[/caption]

Argentina’s Facundo Conte was named the top scorer of the match with 21 points. Seyed Mohammad Mousavi was Iran’s top scorer with 10.

The volleyball tournaments at the Rio 2016 Rio Olympic Games started on August 6, and will finish on August 21.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is pitted against Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Poland and Russia in Pool B.

Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico and the United States have been drawn in Pool A.

By Press TV