Volleyball: Europeans, driven by Giannelli, Italy overwhelms Belgium in their debut

Italy-Belgium 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-15)

Italy starts its home European Championship in the best possible way by overwhelming Emanuele Zanini’s Belgium in the opening match at the UnipolArena in Bologna, who tries everything, but in the end is forced to play the inevitable role of sacrificial victim. De Giorgi didn’t change team and sent Giannelli onto the pitch as director, Romanò as opposite, Russo and Galassi as central players, Lavia and Micheletto as spikers and Balaso as libero. The Belgium squad (with only two centre-backs, one from Trentino’s Scudetto-winning d’Heer) allows you to fly at low altitudes, especially when Italy is on the other side of the net, starting full-on fire with an attack by Roberto Russo in fast that makes the system explode with enthusiasm. The centre-back from Perugia (he will play the next two matches in “his” sports hall, the PalaBarton) scores a total of 5 points in the set (even two aces) which match Lavia’s 5. The Italian reception holds up well to the impact of the Belgian batsmen who are unable to put Balaso and his partners in crisis. So the set hardly ever gives De Giorgi any worries.

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Some blue stammer at the beginning of the second set, but really smudges. Because in the middle of the fraction, the Azzurri are already firmly in control of the set (13-8) and won’t let their opponents back in, while the nearly 9,000 spectators at the Unipol Arena peel their hands to applaud the Azzurri. The music doesn’t change in the third set with Italy now master of the field. Robi Russo had a great evening who scored points in every fundamental and created many problems for Zanini’s rearguard. With Romanò often sent to dunk with a zero block or a 1 block, by an inspired Simone Giannelli. Great final party for the last point propitiated by the youngest of the company, Alessandro Bovolenta. Now Italy moves to Perugia where it returns to the scene on Thursday evening against Estonia and then again on Friday the big match against Bata Atanasijevic’s Serbia still in Umbria.