Volleyball: Nations League, Italy beats Poland and sees the Final Eight

The blues still change formation, but come out at a distance with Egonu and a big wall: the road to the Ankara finals is open

Italy-Poland 3-1 (25-27, 25-20, 28-26, 25-18)
New week and new line-up tried by Mazzanti: Degradi and Gennari di mano, Chirichella and Danesi centrale, Malinov and Egonu the opposite diagonal director. Italy has a really bad start, they are accused in reception, but also in attack they do little. Poland that needs a victory for the finals does not give up anything, dragged by Wolosz, a highly decorated setter from Conegliano. The serve of the Poles hurts and Italy goes down by even 6 points. But when the set seems to have compromised a series of services (Orro and then Sylla entered at the end of the set) and the blues lead to a draw until 24, but when Italy seems to have put the set back in place, it loses it to the advantages with Kakolewska crazy.

Danes what walls

Italy puts back the original formation ”and in the second set things are better. Still some problems in attack, but Italy appears more fluid and the set goes away without major worries, also given the technical difference with Lavarini’s team. In the third set the blues wrap up again and leave the initiative to the Poles who maintain a break advantage, but in the final sprint (Orro and Lubian enter the final of the set) Italy has something more. Paola Egonu still makes the difference (she will close the match at 29 points before leaving the field in Nwakalor), but now the whole team is spinning: Degradi reaches 20 points and the power stations make themselves felt, not just against the block. Orro plays the last fraction and Italy wins the seventh victory in 9 games with the 8-a-side finals in Ankara getting closer and closer. On Friday, South Korea is lagging behind.

ttn-14