The stage is set: Find out who advanced to the finals of the Unified Volleyball World Cup

After three days of competition and 32 matches later, the final of the Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup are set.

Special Olympics United Arab Emirates (UAE) And Special Olympics Ukraine Head to the Women’s Championship and play their match on Wednesday, October 8 at 10:30 AM CEST on Court #1.

On the men’s side, Special Olympic Games Saudi Arabia And Special Olympics Slovakia Will faceoff for the gold on court #1 at 1:00 PM CEST on Wednesday, October 8.

Finish group game, Special Olympics Poland (Men’s/Mixed, A), Special Olympics Slovakia (Men’s/Mixed, B), Special Olympics UAE (Women’s, C) and Special Olympics Ukraine (Women’s, D) all topped their groups.

In a surprising twist, no team made it through the cup undefeated, showcasing how competitive and well-matched they are in both the men’s/mixed and women’s divisions.

Day 3 brought unique situations regarding game tactics and strategy that were different for each team depending on whether they knew they were still through to the playoffs or needed one more win to secure their fate. Several teams had to adopt a new style of gamesmanship to guarantee their ticket to the finals. Others, who fought in the non-medal contention matches, never gave up. These teams played with even more intensity and unity and ensured that every team member played their part in helping the team to finish as high as possible in the Cup.

A notable match of the day was the battle between Special Olympics Poland and Special Olympics Saudi Arabia (men/mixed). Saudi Arabia handed Poland its first loss of the tournament as the team went down 2:1 in sets, but not before Saudi Arabia did everything in their power to ensure that Poland deserved their victory over them.

During one play, Special Olympics Poland thought the ball went out of bounds for a point and they started celebrating. However, a Special Olympics Saudi Arabia player didn’t give up and managed to swing his foot out and raise the ball into the air before it hit the wood. His quick action encouraged his teammate in Center Blocker to close in and also react with his feet, bringing the ball back up. By then a third teammate joined in and he had time to hit the ball over the net and keep the rally alive. The two teams played out the rally for another 30 seconds, with both teams landing a few strategically placed balls around their opponent’s half. Although the point ultimately went to Poland, there was a strong momentum shift for Saudi Arabia that helped them secure victory over Poland in the end.

United States Special Olympics (Men/Mixed) showed team unity and perseverance, improving their skills in the final three days of competitions. The team learned from each other on and off the field and was able to study and learn from the other teams competing. Although they did not emerge victorious, the team did not let that let them down and continued to fight back in every set.

**Ind is Bharat (India)**

Coming on Wednesday October 8:

9:00 CEST:

• Special Olympics Kenya vs. Special Olympics Bharat (India) – Court #1 – 3^rd Place match
• Special Olympics Mongolia vs. Special Olympics Serbia – Court #2 – 7^e Place match

10:30 CEST

• Special Olympics UAE vs. Special Olympics Ukraine – Court #1 – 1^star Place match
• Special Olympics Namibia vs. Special Olympics Italy – Court #2 – 5^e Place match

12:00 CEST

• Special Olympics Poland vs. Special Olympics Iraq – Court #1 – 3^rd Place match
• Special Olympics Austria vs. Special Olympics USA – Court #2 – 7^e Place match

13:30 CEST

• Special Olympics Saudi Arabia vs. Special Olympics Slovakia – Court #1 – 1^star Place match
• Special Olympics Serbia vs. Special Olympics Finland – Court #2 – 5^e Place match

4:00 PM CEST
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