Italvolley Overcomes the Rain; (Rain-Soaked) Euro Debut Ends in Victory

Italy got off to a wet but victorious start at the European Volleyball Championships, defeating Sweden 3-0 in the arena set up in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Rain, which began falling just minutes before the opening whistle, forced organizers to postpone the start of the match by 30 minutes, though it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the 6,000 spectators in the stands at the completely sold-out event. Two long breaks during the evening did not slow down the Azzurri, who wrapped up the match before midnight anyway.

In the stands was President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, greeted by a long round of applause upon his arrival, along with Ministers Giancarlo Giorgetti and Andrea Abodi and CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio. Also in attendance were FIPAV President Giuseppe Manfredi, FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, CEV President Roko Sikirić and Serie A Volleyball League President Claudio Durigon, as well as top officials from the city of Naples—including Mayor Gaetano Manfredi—and the Campania Region, led by President Roberto Fico.

As for the match, the Azzurri displayed high-quality play right from the start, with captain Giannelli serving as the team’s primary playmaker. The Italian setter consistently distributed the ball to all the attackers, allowing the team to maintain control of the match. Sweden, led from the bench by head coach Gido Vermeulen, nevertheless displayed solid overall play and tried to stay in the game against the Azzurri in the first two sets. Italy, however, managed the most critical moments well and further increased the pace in the third set, closing out the match without giving their opponents any chance of a comeback.