Kazakhstan defeated the United States 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 15-25, 25-23) to win the men’s bronze medal at the World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Cup at the Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne. The result capped a confident performance from the Kazakh side, who relied on a balanced attack and composure under pressure, led by Perdebay Namuratov’s 23 points.
The opening set was closely contested as both sides traded powerful swings and quick defensive recoveries. Kazakhstan held a narrow 15-13 lead thanks to stronger mid attacks, while the US stayed close as Zachary Upp and Eric Duda found ways to score in transition plays. A pair of Kazakh attacking errors put the Americans within 16-16 before Duda put them ahead with an off-the-block swing.
Upp added a clean goal into the back row to make it 20-19, but Kazakhstan responded with patient rallies and aggressive net play to regain control at 23-21. Despite Upp’s late efforts, a net foul gave the set to Kazakhstan 25-23.
In the second, Kazakhstan found the rhythm and controlled the pace with a well-distributed attack and precise passing. Namuratov remained reliable at the net, while his teammates found scoring lines that kept the American blockers off balance. The Americans stayed in contention through Upp’s individual effort, but Kazakhstan closed the set 25-18 with Namuratov’s quick return to take a two-set lead.
The US fought back in the third, improving their blocking and serve receiving. Upp led the attack with powerful strikes from both wings, supported by the presence of James Stuck at the net. The Americans overturned an early deficit and built momentum to win the set 25–15, narrowing the match to 2–1.
Kazakhstan regrouped in the fourth and started strongly, with Namuratov again leading an early charge. The US rallied behind Upp again, cutting the deficit to one point at 15-14, but Kazakhstan’s defense held firm. The set tightened at 21-21 before a Duda attack went wide, giving Kazakhstan the advantage. A ball that hit the antenna returned serve to Erik Kaskabayev, who held his nerve to complete the 25-23 victory and secure the bronze medal.
Namuratov finished with 23 points in an impressive game, while Upp led all scorers with 29 points for the USA.
Meanwhile, in the men’s fifth-place match, Poland rallied from 2-1 down to beat Canada 3-2 (16-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-16, 15-9). Tomasz Grell scored 19 points, while Dariusz Symonowicz led Canada with 15 points as Poland finished fifth overall in Fort Wayne.
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