Italvolley still world champion: Bulgaria knocked out in four sets
It’Italvolley is world champion: the Azzurri overcame Bulgaria in four sets (25-21; 25-17; 17-25; 25-10) in the men’s volleyball World Cup final on the taraflex of the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines. Second consecutive title for Italy, which was defending the World Championship won in 2022 in Poland.
After a hard-fought first set decided in the final bars with Romanò on the shields, Ferdinando De Giorgi’s men dominated the second partial with again the same Romanò protagonist who even strung four consecutive aces in the final of the partial.
However, Bulgaria did not mind and reduced the disadvantage by winning the third set dragged by Nikolov’s broadsides. In the fourth partial, however, the Azzurri returned in full control of the match and crashed the Bulgarians with a clear 25-10.
On the shields for Italy Yuri Romanò who finished with 22 points – and as many as 5 ace – but also Mattia Bottolo who put up 19 points and 7 ace. Bulgaria did not need 23 points from a sumptuous Aleksandar Nikolov.
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For Italvolley it is the fifth World Cup in history, the second consecutive one. It is a dream year for Italian volleyball, which gets another World Cup after the one won three weeks ago by the women’s national team in Bangkok, Thailand.
