# Volleyball at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

The men's tournament in volleyball at the 1976 Summer Olympics was the 4th edition of the event at the Summer Olympics, organized by the world's governing body, the FIVB in conjunction with the IOC. It was held in Montreal, Canada from 18 to 30 July 1976.

## Qualification

| Means of qualification | Date | Host | Vacancies | Qualified |
| Host Country | 12 May 1970 | Amsterdam | 1 | Canada |
| 1972 Olympic Games | 27 August – 9 September 1972 | Munich | 1 | Japan |
| 1974 World Championship | 12–28 October 1974 | Mexico | 1 | Poland |
| 1976 African Championship | 1976 | Tunis | 1 | Egypt |
| 1975 Asian Championsnip | 17–28 August 1975 | Melbourne | 1 | South Korea |
| 1975 European Championship | 18–25 October 1975 | Yugoslavia | 1 | Soviet Union |
| 1975 NORCECA Championship | 3–8 August 1975 | Los Angeles | 1 | Cuba |
| 1975 South American Championship | 26 November – 3 December 1975 | Asunción | 1 | Brazil |
| World Qualifier | 15–23 January 1976 | Italy | 2 | Czechoslovakia |
| World Qualifier | 15–23 January 1976 | Italy | 2 | Italy |
| Total | Total | Total | 10 | |

## Pools composition

| Pool A | Pool B |
| Canada (Hosts) | Brazil |
| Cuba | Egypt |
| Czechoslovakia | Italy |
| Poland | Japan |
| South Korea | Soviet Union |

## Venues

| Main venue | Sub venue |
| Montreal, Canada | Montreal, Canada |
| Montreal Forum | Paul Sauvé Arena |
| Capacity: 18,575 | Capacity: 4,000 |
| | No Image |

## Preliminary round
### Pool A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Poland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 2.400 | 235 | 172 | 1.366 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Cuba | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 2.750 | 208 | 142 | 1.465 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 1.143 | 182 | 177 | 1.028 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| 4 | South Korea | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 0.667 | 146 | 187 | 0.781 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| 5 | Canada | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0.000 | 88 | 181 | 0.486 | |
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 18 Jul | Czechoslovakia | 3–0 | Canada | 15–4 | 16–14 | 15–11 | | | 46–29 |
| 18 Jul | Poland | 3–2 | South Korea | 12–15 | 6–15 | 15–6 | 15–6 | 15–5 | 63–47 |
| 19 Jul | Poland | 3–0 | Canada | 15–4 | 15–7 | 15–6 | | | 45–17 |
| 19 Jul | Cuba | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | 15–6 | 10–15 | 15–5 | 15–6 | | 55–32 |
| 21 Jul | Poland | 3–2 | Cuba | 13–15 | 10–15 | 15–6 | 15–9 | 20–18 | 73–63 |
| 21 Jul | South Korea | 3–0 | Canada | 15–7 | 15–5 | 15–8 | | | 45–20 |
| 23 Jul | Cuba | 3–0 | South Korea | 15–4 | 15–5 | 15–6 | | | 45–15 |
| 23 Jul | Poland | 3–1 | Czechoslovakia | 8–15 | 15–11 | 15–5 | 16–14 | | 54–45 |
| 25 Jul | Czechoslovakia | 3–1 | South Korea | 15–9 | 15–9 | 14–16 | 15–5 | | 59–39 |
| 25 Jul | Cuba | 3–0 | Canada | 15–10 | 15–9 | 15–3 | | | 45–22 |

### Pool B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 | MAX | 135 | 63 | 2.143 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Japan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2.000 | 118 | 89 | 1.326 | Semifinals |
| 3 | Brazil | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.375 | 118 | 142 | 0.831 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| 4 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0.222 | 81 | 158 | 0.513 | 5th–8th semifinals |
| WD | Egypt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | |
* ↑ Egypt withdrew because of the Congolese-led boycott after they lost to Brazil 1–3 (5–15, 5–15, 15–13, 9–15) on 18 July. The result of that match was annulled.
| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 18 Jul | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Italy | 15–6 | 15–3 | 15–6 | | | 45–15 |
| 20 Jul | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Brazil | 15–7 | 15–11 | 15–2 | | | 45–20 |
| 20 Jul | Japan | 3–0 | Italy | 15–6 | 15–2 | 15–6 | | | 45–14 |
| 22 Jul | Japan | 3–0 | Brazil | 15–13 | 15–8 | 15–9 | | | 45–30 |
| 24 Jul | Brazil | 3–2 | Italy | 15–8 | 11–15 | 12–15 | 15–6 | 15–8 | 68–52 |
| 25 Jul | Soviet Union | 3–0 | Japan | 15–9 | 15–10 | 15–9 | | | 45–28 |

## Final round
### 5th–8th places

| 5th–8th semifinals | 5th–8th semifinals | 5th place match | 5th place match |
| 26 July | 26 July |
| Czechoslovakia | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | 3 | 27 July | 27 July |
| Italy | 0 | 27 July | 27 July |
| Italy | 0 | Czechoslovakia | 3 |
| 26 July | 26 July | | Czechoslovakia | 3 |
| 26 July | 26 July | South Korea | 1 |
| South Korea | 3 | South Korea | 1 |
| Brazil | 2 | | |
| Brazil | 2 | 7th place match | 7th place match |
| | | 27 July | 27 July |
| | | Italy | 0 |
| | | Brazil | 3 |

#### 5th–8th semifinals

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 26 Jul | South Korea | 3–2 | Brazil | 15–12 | 12–15 | 7–15 | 15–6 | 15–5 | 64–53 |
| 26 Jul | Czechoslovakia | 3–0 | Italy | 15–7 | 15–8 | 15–7 | | | 45–22 |

#### 7th place match

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 27 Jul | Italy | 0–3 | Brazil | 8–15 | 6–15 | 8–15 | | | 22–45 |

#### 5th place match

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 27 Jul | Czechoslovakia | 3–1 | South Korea | 15–9 | 10–15 | 15–2 | 15–9 | | 55–35 |

### Final four

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Gold medal match | Gold medal match |
| 29 July | 29 July |
| Poland | 3 |
| Poland | 3 | 30 July | 30 July |
| Japan | 2 | 30 July | 30 July |
| Japan | 2 | Poland | 3 |
| 29 July | 29 July | | Poland | 3 |
| 29 July | 29 July | Soviet Union | 2 |
| Cuba | 0 | Soviet Union | 2 |
| Soviet Union | 3 | | |
| Soviet Union | 3 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | 30 July | 30 July |
| | | Japan | 0 |
| | | Cuba | 3 |

#### Semifinals

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 29 Jul | Cuba | 0–3 | Soviet Union | 12–15 | 7–15 | 8–15 | | | 27–45 |
| 29 Jul | Poland | 3–2 | Japan | 15–17 | 15–6 | 15–6 | 10–15 | 15–10 | 70–54 |

#### Bronze medal match

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 30 Jul | Japan | 0–3 | Cuba | 8–15 | 9–15 | 8–15 | | | 25–45 |

#### Gold medal match

| Date | | Score | | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Total |
| 30 Jul | Poland | 3–2 | Soviet Union | 11–15 | 15–13 | 12–15 | 19–17 | 15–7 | 72–67 |

## Final standing

| Rank | Team |
| | Poland |
| | Soviet Union |
| | Cuba |
| 4 | Japan |
| 5 | Czechoslovakia |
| 6 | South Korea |
| 7 | Brazil |
| 8 | Italy |
| 9 | Canada |
| WD | Egypt |
* 1976 Men's Olympic champions
* Poland 1st title
* 12–man Roster
* Włodzimierz Stefański, Bronisław Bebel, Lech Łasko, Edward Skorek, Tomasz Wójtowicz, Wiesław Gawłowski, Mirosław Rybaczewski, Zbigniew Lubiejewski, Ryszard Bosek, Włodzimierz Sadalski, Zbigniew Zarzycki, Marek Karbarz
* Head coach
* Hubert Wagner

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Poland (POL)Włodzimierz Stefański Bronisław Bebel Lech Łasko Edward Skorek Tomasz Wójtowicz Wiesław Gawłowski Mirosław Rybaczewski Zbigniew Lubiejewski Ryszard Bosek Włodzimierz Sadalski Zbigniew Zarzycki Marek Karbarz Head coach: Hubert Wagner | Soviet Union (URS)Anatoliy Polishchuk Vyacheslav Zaytsev Yefim Chulak Vladimir Dorokhov Aleksandr Ermilov Pāvels Seļivanovs Oleg Moliboga Vladimir Kondra Yuri Starunsky Vladimir Chernyshov Vladimir Ulanov Aleksandr Savin Head coach: Yuri Chesnokov | Cuba (CUB)Leonel Marshall Victoriano Sarmientos Ernesto Martínez Víctor García Carlos Salas Raúl Vilches Jesús Savigne Lorenzo Martínez Diego Lapera Antonio Rodríguez Alfredo Figueredo Jorge Pérez Vento Head coach: Idolo Gilberto Herrera |