Iran defeated Lebanon in straight sets (25–19, 25–18, 25–17) in the quarterfinals of the 17th Asian Volleyball Championships on Friday.

The reigning champion Iran will play Japan in the semifinals on Saturday. The Japanese team defeated Thailand 3-0 (26–24, 25–21, 25–16) in the quarterfinals.

“Our players were thinking about Japan during the match against Lebanon and it made our jobs more difficult,” Julio Velasco said in the post-match news conference.

“At the moment, Japan is not in the best shape but they are always a strong team. They have a special style in volleyball,” Iran coach added.
The 2013 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship got underway in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from September 28 to October 6.
 

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