The Italian team gets off to a great start in the Rio de Janeiro stage of the Volley Nations League. The Italian boys beat Germany 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) and take the first step towards Olympic qualification via the Fivb ranking. Against the Germans the Azzurri take the points needed to confirm third place.
blue domain
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Italy begins with Giannelli as director, Romanò as opposite; Russo, Galassi power plants; spikers Lavia, Michieletto; Free Balaso. The Azzurri lead almost the entire first set. Germany, which starts with Zimmermann-John, Krage-Maase, Kaliberda-Fromm, Graven libero, is only ahead 11-10. The Azzurri dominate on serve and in attack while Kaliberda and his teammates chase without managing to reduce the gap. Lavia closes the half by taking advantage of the opponent’s block: 25-21 in 25′. The Brazilian crowd at the Maracanãzinho cheers for De Giorgi’s team: “Italia!, Italia!”. In the second set the blue dominance is even clearer from the beginning of the half. Romanò, from the second row, closes 25-18 in 28′ with a nice smash, scoring his seventh point in the second set after the six in the first.
comeback
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In the third set Giannelli and his teammates slow down and Germany takes advantage of this to put them under pressure in reception. Tedeschi ahead 8-3, and De Giorgi introduces Luca Porro for Lavia. Italy tries to make a comeback which arrives right at the end: from 19-23 to 23-23. The Germans celebrate an outside attack that would give them the set point but the challenge highlights a block touch that turns the situation around. Then Italy 25-23 with Michieletto
