At the start of the second group phase, the German volleyball players suffered their most significant defeat of the season so far in the Nations League.
The team of the new national coach Michal Winiarski lost on Wednesday against European champions Italy 0:3 (16:25, 21:25, 22:25), it was the first of four games in the Philippines.
In the group of 16 teams, however, Germany is still in the midfield and therefore still has a good chance of being one of the top eight in the knockout stage. Against Italy, the Winiarski team was clearly behind, especially in the first and third sets, the best scorer was Linus Weber with 14 points.
A supposedly easier opponent is now waiting in the Philippines: The game continues against China on Thursday (9:00 a.m. CEST).
In the first of a total of three group phases, the selection of the German Volleyball Association (DVV) in Ottawa, Canada, impressed with three wins from four games. The team beat Canada (3-0), Bulgaria (3-2) and Serbia (3-2) and lost only to Argentina (1-3).