Volley Nations League, Italy surrenders only to the tiebreak to Brazil

Brazil-Italy 3-2 (26-28, 25-20, 19-25, 25-21, 15-10)

Howls from the bench Miriam Sylla, ruled out of the last second round of the Vnl in Bangkok, Thailand, with a foot injury. She incites her companions, she plays her game even if not physically on the rectangle. And her energy arrives. Davide Mazzanti’s Italy lost 3-2 against Brazil in the first remake of last October’s bitter world semi-final, but it is a result that leaves positive sensations. Because the blue team is profoundly different from then (and also from the one that will play in the next European Championship), while the South Americans are practically with the starting team. And Bosio and her companions played evenly. The grit with which Malual and Gennari shake up the team when the first set seemed gone, the stubbornness to take the third without risk are paired with the usual emotional roller coaster also told by Omoruyi in a recent interview with the Gazzetta. This young team is working on continuity, but there is and will be played in the next three matches against Canada, Croatia and Japan for a place in the final eight of the tournament.

Without Sylla

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Davide Mazzanti lines up his Italy with Bosio at the dribble, Nwakalor opposite, Degradi and Omoruyi in the band, Mazzaro and Danesi in the center and Fersino free. Ze Roberto with Macris dribbling, Rosamaria diagonally, Gabi and Maiara spikers, Thaisa and Carol central and Natalia libero. Brazil starts strong, Italy is dazed and struggles to get into the match. The South Americans fly and Mazzanti is forced to call time out: “We are seeing them bigger than they are. Let’s think about ourselves and about doing the things we’ve worked on”. It’s the shock, as well as the double change with Gennari and Malual for Bosio and Nwakalor. Down 20-11, Italy changed pace, found a great resource in the block (6-0 the pitiless confrontation in the partial) and recovered all the disadvantage. The blues break the green-gold certainties, put their hands and feet together and take home the first set. On the wave of enthusiasm, they continue to play a brilliant volleyball, they start very well but, in the distance, Brazil dragged by a reinvigorated Gabi, grinds the game back to its level. Italy remains attached but fails to hit a block as in the first set: Brazil (with Roberta steadily dribbling for Macris) takes off and brings everything back to a draw.

yet another tie break

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Italy, however, is there and has no intention of giving up. Omoruyi is a point of reference in attack and shows a great variety of shots, Villani enters the game with the confidence of a veteran and the Azzurri start running and only stop when the score is 25-19. But, as has happened many other times in this Nations League, then they can’t keep the same pace for the whole match. If you’re facing Brazil, however, as soon as you lower the voltage, they’ll bite you in the neck. And so it is. Italy turns back on when it’s too late, tries to repeat the super comeback of the first set, but in the end has to postpone everything to the tie break, the sixth out of nine games in this Vnl. The tie break is a point to point with the green and gold dictating the pace with a minibreak ahead. Which lead up to the final 15-10 (despite the long interruption of almost 10 minutes on 13-10 due to a scoreboard error).