1998 FIVB Volleyball World League

The 1998 FIVB Volleyball World League was the ninth edition of the annual men's international volleyball tournament, played by 12 countries from 15 May to 19 July 1998. The Final Round was held in Milan, Italy.

1998 World League

Tournament details
Host nation	Italy (Final)
Dates	15 May – 19 July
Teams	12
Champions	Cuba (1st title)
Tournament awards
MVP	Osvaldo Hernández

Pools composition

Pool A	Pool B	Pool C
Bulgaria Cuba South Korea Spain	Argentina Greece Italy Netherlands	Brazil Poland Russia Yugoslavia

Intercontinental round

	Qualified for the Playoff round
	Qualified as hosts for the final round
	Qualified as hosts for the Playoff round

Pool A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Bulgaria	12	10	2	22	30	15	2.000	581	501	1.160	Pool East
2	Cuba	12	8	4	20	29	15	1.933	603	463	1.302
3	Spain	12	4	8	16	18	29	0.621	542	634	0.855	Pool West
4	South Korea	12	2	10	14	12	30	0.400	439	567	0.774

Source:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
15 May	Cuba	3–0	South Korea	15–7	15–4	15–4			45–15
15 May	Spain	2–3	Bulgaria	6–15	15–8	15–8	9–15	15–17	60–63
16 May	Cuba	3–0	South Korea	15–4	15–11	15–10			45–25
17 May	Spain	1–3	Bulgaria	10–15	10–15	15–11	11–15		46–56
22 May	Cuba	3–0	Bulgaria	15–8	15–5	15–7			45–20
23 May	South Korea	3–0	Spain	15–6	16–14	15–9			46–29
23 May	Cuba	3–0	Bulgaria	15–8	15–10	15–5			45–23
24 May	South Korea	3–0	Spain	15–5	15–8	15–6			45–19
29 May	Bulgaria	3–0	South Korea	15–8	15–9	15–4			45–21
29 May	Spain	3–0	Cuba	15–11	15–12	15–12			45–35
30 May	Bulgaria	3–1	South Korea	13–15	15–6	15–11	15–8		58–40
31 May	Spain	3–2	Cuba	15–4	8–15	17–16	7–15	15–13	62–63
5 Jun	Bulgaria	3–0	Spain	15–11	15–12	15–7			45–30
6 Jun	South Korea	0–3	Cuba	8–15	3–15	13–15			24–45
6 Jun	Bulgaria	3–0	Spain	15–2	15–6	15–7			45–15
7 Jun	South Korea	0–3	Cuba	7–15	7–15	9–15			23–45
12 Jun	Cuba	3–2	Spain	13–15	12–15	15–13	15–10	15–10	70–63
13 Jun	South Korea	1–3	Bulgaria	15–5	11–15	6–15	14–16		46–51
13 Jun	Cuba	3–1	Spain	16–14	9–15	15–6	15–9		55–44
14 Jun	South Korea	1–3	Bulgaria	9–15	9–15	15–11	11–15		44–56
19 Jun	Spain	3–2	South Korea	13–15	15–12	15–10	11–15	15–13	69–65
20 Jun	Bulgaria	3–1	Cuba	15–13	15–9	13–15	15–8		58–45
21 Jun	Spain	3–1	South Korea	15–13	15–9	13–15	15–8		58–45
21 Jun	Bulgaria	3–2	Cuba	15–12	15–8	7–15	8–15	16–14	61–64

Pool B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Netherlands	12	10	2	22	30	11	2.727	553	433	1.277	Pool West
2	Italy (H)	12	7	5	19	24	17	1.412	544	471	1.155	Final round
3	Argentina	12	5	7	17	22	25	0.880	583	585	0.997
4	Greece	12	2	10	14	10	33	0.303	419	610	0.687

Source:
(H) Host
Notes:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
15 May	Argentina	0–3	Netherlands	11–15	10–15	4–15			25–45
16 May	Italy	3–0	Greece	15–7	15–9	15–10			45–26
17 May	Argentina	0–3	Netherlands	13–15	12–15	13–15			38–45
17 May	Italy	3–0	Greece	15–1	15–8	15–5			45–14
22 May	Italy	2–3	Argentina	7–15	12–15	16–14	16–14	13–15	64–73
23 May	Greece	1–3	Netherlands	11–15	3–15	15–13	6–15		35–58
24 May	Italy	3–1	Argentina	13–15	16–14	16–14	15–8		60–51
24 May	Greece	1–3	Netherlands	12–15	7–15	15–13	8–15		42–58
29 May	Argentina	2–3	Greece	13–15	10–15	15–9	15–8	13–15	66–62
30 May	Italy	0–3	Netherlands	11–15	9–15	9–15			29–45
31 May	Argentina	1–3	Greece	12–15	16–14	13–15	12–15		53–59
31 May	Italy	3–0	Netherlands	15–7	15–10	15–13			45–30
5 Jun	Argentina	3–1	Italy	15–11	8–15	15–6	15–13		53–45
6 Jun	Netherlands	3–0	Greece	15–7	15–5	15–9			45–21
7 Jun	Netherlands	3–0	Greece	15–5	15–8	15–9			45–22
7 Jun	Argentina	3–0	Italy	15–13	15–13	15–8			45–34
13 Jun	Netherlands	3–1	Argentina	15–9	9–15	15–12	15–4		54–40
13 Jun	Greece	1–3	Italy	9–15	15–4	5–15	13–15		42–49
14 Jun	Netherlands	3–2	Argentina	15–7	3–15	5–15	15–2	15–12	53–51
14 Jun	Greece	0–3	Italy	6–15	11–15	13–15			30–45
20 Jun	Netherlands	0–3	Italy	8–15	9–15	11–15			28–45
20 Jun	Greece	1–3	Argentina	15–11	12–15	11–15	15–17		53–58
21 Jun	Netherlands	3–0	Italy	15–13	15–12	17–15			47–40
21 Jun	Greece	0–3	Argentina	5–15	4–15	6–15			15–45

Pool C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Brazil	12	9	3	21	29	11	2.636	536	420	1.276	Pool West
2	Russia	12	9	3	21	30	17	1.765	633	519	1.220
3	Yugoslavia	12	3	9	15	18	28	0.643	519	600	0.865	Pool East
4	Poland	12	3	9	15	12	33	0.364	469	618	0.759

Source:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
15 May	Russia	2–3	Poland	15–11	15–7	16–17	12–15	11–15	69–65
15 May	Brazil	3–0	Yugoslavia	15–8	15–9	15–7			45–24
16 May	Russia	3–0	Poland	15–5	15–11	15–12			45–28
17 May	Brazil	3–0	Yugoslavia	15–11	16–14	15–5			46–30
22 May	Yugoslavia	1–3	Russia	6–15	12–15	15–13	8–15		41–58
22 May	Brazil	3–0	Poland	15–6	15–12	15–6			45–24
23 May	Yugoslavia	0–3	Russia	11–15	13–15	4–15			28–45
24 May	Brazil	3–0	Poland	15–8	15–8	16–14			46–30
29 May	Yugoslavia	3–0	Poland	15–4	15–13	15–13			45–30
29 May	Brazil	3–0	Russia	15–12	15–12	15–7			45–31
30 May	Yugoslavia	2–3	Poland	9–15	15–12	8–15	15–8	16–14	63–64
31 May	Brazil	3–1	Russia	15–9	15–6	11–15	15–8		56–38
5 Jun	Russia	3–2	Yugoslavia	15–6	12–15	15–2	13–15	15–12	70–50
5 Jun	Poland	1–3	Brazil	10–15	8–15	15–12	13–15		46–57
6 Jun	Russia	3–2	Yugoslavia	16–14	15–12	13–15	8–15	15–11	67–67
6 Jun	Poland	0–3	Brazil	6–15	8–15	5–15			19–45
12 Jun	Poland	0–3	Russia	11–15	7–15	3–15			21–45
12 Jun	Yugoslavia	3–0	Brazil	15–7	15–10	15–8			45–25
13 Jun	Poland	1–3	Russia	15–7	6–15	5–15	11–15		37–52
14 Jun	Yugoslavia	0–3	Brazil	6–15	11–15	3–15			20–45
19 Jun	Russia	3–1	Brazil	15–13	15–6	11–15	15–11		56–45
19 Jun	Poland	3–2	Yugoslavia	11–15	11–15	15–6	15–12	15–9	67–57
20 Jun	Russia	3–1	Brazil	12–15	15–3	15–8	15–10		57–36
20 Jun	Poland	1–3	Yugoslavia	5–15	15–6	5–15	11–15		36–51

Playoff round

Pool West

• Host: Alicante, Spain

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Russia	3	2	1	5	6	3	2.000	115	112	1.027	Final round
2	Netherlands	3	2	1	5	7	5	1.400	147	145	1.014
3	Brazil	3	1	2	4	5	6	0.833	139	133	1.045
4	Spain	3	1	2	4	3	7	0.429	117	128	0.914

Source:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
13 Jul	Netherlands	3–2	Brazil	7–15	15–13	12–15	15–7	15–13	64–63
13 Jul	Spain	0–3	Russia	13–15	11–15	12–15			36–45
14 Jul	Netherlands	3–0	Russia	15–10	15–7	15–8			45–25
14 Jul	Spain	0–3	Brazil	10–15	7–15	7–15			24–45
15 Jul	Brazil	0–3	Russia	10–15	9–15	12–15			31–45
15 Jul	Spain	3–1	Netherlands	12–15	15–5	15–12	15–6		57–38

Pool East

• Host: Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR	Qualification
1	Cuba	2	2	0	4	6	2	3.000	109	67	1.627	Final round
2	Yugoslavia	2	1	1	3	5	4	1.250	106	108	0.981
3	Bulgaria	2	0	2	2	1	6	0.167	58	98	0.592

Source:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
13 Jul	Yugoslavia	3–1	Bulgaria	6–15	17–15	15–7	15–7		53–44
14 Jul	Cuba	3–0	Bulgaria	15–3	15–2	15–9			45–14
15 Jul	Yugoslavia	2–3	Cuba	6–15	15–12	5–15	15–7	12–15	53–64

Final round

• Venue: Forum di Assago, Assago, Italy

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	Pts	SW	SL	SR	SPW	SPL	SPR
1	Cuba	3	3	0	6	9	1	9.000	147	103	1.427
2	Russia	3	2	1	5	6	5	1.200	136	134	1.015
3	Netherlands	3	1	2	4	4	7	0.571	124	137	0.905
4	Italy	3	0	3	3	3	9	0.333	125	158	0.791

Source:

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
17 Jul	Russia	0–3	Cuba	15–17	13–15	4–15			32–47
17 Jul	Italy	1–3	Netherlands	15–9	13–15	4–15	5–15		37–54
18 Jul	Russia	3–0	Netherlands	15–8	15–5	15–11			45–24
18 Jul	Italy	0–3	Cuba	7–15	11–15	7–15			25–45
19 Jul	Netherlands	1–3	Cuba	14–16	14–16	15–8	3–15		46–55
19 Jul	Italy	2–3	Russia	7–15	15–5	13–15	15–9	13–15	63–59

Final standing

Rank	Team
	Cuba
	Russia
	Netherlands
4	Italy
5	Brazil
6	Yugoslavia
7	Bulgaria
8	Spain
9	Argentina
10	Poland
11	South Korea
12	Greece

1998 World League champions
Cuba 1st title

Awards

• Best scorer: Osvaldo Hernández
• Best spiker: Osvaldo Hernández
• Best blocker: Andrea Giani
• Best server: Roman Yakovlyev

External links

• 1998 World League Results
• Sports123