TEHRAN – Iran volleyball team failed to meet expectations in Week 1 of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) but Roberto Piazza implies a deeper level of familiarity about his team in Week 2.

Team Melli are scheduled to open Week 2 with a match against Serbia on June 25. The team will also play Argentina (June 27), Germany (June 28), the Netherlands (June 29).

Piazza, who was officially named head coach in January 2025, has a two-year contract with the federation, with an option for a two-year extension. He has brought in Tomaso Totolo as his assistant coach. Piazza's goal is to elevate Iran's volleyball program, aiming to get them back into the world's top eight

Piazza emphasizes mental strength and is focused on developing young, motivated players who can peak in time for the 2028 Olympics.

The team faced challenges in the early stages of the VNL, including close losses and identified areas for improvement in serving and reception.

Piazza's leadership represents a shift towards building a mentally tough and technically sharp team, capable of competing at the highest level.

The Italian coach now has a deeper knowledge of his team.

Porya Hossein Khanzadeh, Bardia Saadat, Amin Esmaeilnezhad and Morteza Sharifi can steal the show.

In the 2025 Women's Volleyball Nations League, each of the 18 participating teams will play a total of 12 matches during the pool stage. These matches will be distributed across three of the nine pools, and the competition will take place over three weeks. The pool stage format means each team will compete against a subset of the other teams in the tournament, with the results contributing to an overall preliminary table.