VNL: Italy overpowers U.S. by force, Paola Egonu on the shields
VNL: Italy-USA 25-17; 19-25; 25-15; 25-21
Italy's run in Volleyball Nations League does not stop. After clear victories over Canada and South Korea, coach Julio Velasco’s Azzurri imposed themselves with a great show of strength on the Olympic champions of the United States with the score of 25-17 19-25 25-15 25-21, gaining their ninth success in the competition and provissorily hoisting themselves to second place in the overall standings while awaiting Poland’s response.
The blue players were able to take the lead with authority in the first and third sets, after the setback in the second partial due to a few too many errors in reception. In the fourth and final set, Italy è managed to contain the comeback of the Americans thanks to greater incisiveness in both attack and defense.
Our national team got the better of the Olympic champions with great personality, forcefully taking the lead at the start of the first and third sets, after a setback in the second partial due to a drop in reception. CT Julio Velasco‘s girls proved to be of a’different caliber than the Americans, being decidedly more incisive in attack and at the wall, proving to be more physically fit, attacking with great continuity and insistence in the partials brought home.
Great protagonists in the ranks of the azzurre were Paola Egonu with 23 points and Myriam Sylla with 13. Good performances also for Alice Degradi (9), Anna Danesi (13) and Sarah Fahr (11). In the USA, however, the combined 26 of the Thompson-Drews duo was not enough.
Italy, already certain of qualification to the Final Eight and the Paris 2024 Olympics, will be back on the court as early as Sunday, June 16, for the challenge with Serbia in the last match of the preliminary phase of Pool 6 being held in Fukuoka.
After the challenge with the Serbs, Italy will fly to Bangkok where the final act of the top intercontinental competition 2024 will come into focus from June 20-23. Thanks to today’s success, in addition, the Italian women remain in the running to finish in second place in the overall standings, which would guarantee a greater advantage in the draw.
