Iran forced the decider on Italy to win their first match (25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12) in Pool D of the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Boy’s U19 World Championship on Saturday at Isa City Sports Hall.

Iran’s Porya Yali led all scorers with 28 points from 24 attacks, two blocks and two aces.

Amirhossein Esfandiar also stood out with 21 points, to annex Iran’s offensive armory, FIVB wrote.

Iran showed their offensive prowess in the first set with Yali and Esfandiar’s unyielding attacks from the flank.

 Italy could not find their tempo but vindicated themselves in the succeeding sets by posting a formidable presence at the net.

The European side’s persistent blocking effort blanked the opponents’ hitters, posting a total of 15 points from blocks.

Italy gained good momentum into the second and third sets, but Iran earned back their offensive rhythm to force the decider. By the fifth set, Iran stood by with their attacks that broke through Italy’s defenders. The Asian side maintained their momentum to seal victory in the tie-break.