GERMANY hammered Iran in a commanding 25-20, 25-23, 25-20 sweep to finish the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Manila leg on a high, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Moritz Karlitzek led the already-eliminated Germans' last-gasp world ranking points haul with 21 markers built on 17 attacks, two blocks, and two aces.
Namesake Moritz Reichert then took on his fair share of the scoring load with 10 attacks of his own.
Germany and Iran's final standings
The two also-ran sides both split their four Manila leg matches, leading to Germany landing in 12th place - for the time being - at 5-7 and Iran ranking 15th at 2-10.
"We're super happy that we finished the VNL this year for us with a victory and can go home with a good feeling," Karlitzek said.
"I can say that the tournament here was perfectly organized. We felt really well and also playing in front of the crowd was amazing. The fans were all the time supporting us, so we had a good time."
It was still a run to remember for the Asian team which scored its only two wins in Manila against volleyball powerhouses USA and the Netherlands in back-to-back five-set thrillers within a span of 24 hours.
The spotlight was on Amin Esmaeilnezhad's 19 points and Poriya Hossein Firouzjah's 10 attacks in the Iranians' final act in VNL 2024.
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