If there is a snapshot that can “tell” this match, we must certainly go back to the exchange that leads to 15-11 Italian in 4th set. Avery Skinner’s diagonal shot misses the net and doesn’t touch the Italian wall, but the refereeing duo doesn’t notice and lets it play. Vibrant protests from the Azzurre, who would like to stop the game with the video challenge and almost beg Velasco, who however pretends not to see or hear. Or, rather, he decides that that is the watershed moment of the match, an exchange in which his national team must show attributes and a winning mentality. Result? Endless rally, usual sensational Italian wall-defense and Myriam Sylla to pinch Andrea Drews’ phalanges just enough to achieve the hands-out of the provisional +4. However, the growth of Italvolley cannot be completely summarized from this point, also because a collection of volumes would perhaps not be enough to describe this result. Italvolley must give up Caterina Bosettitoday dressed as a second libero because she is not at her best physically, but she can count on the heavy arm of Degradi and the Danesi-Fahr pair in the centre: that is, on best blocking duo in the world, together with the Brazilian one composed of Carol and Thaisa. Without forgetting the attack, because if today Sarah does not maintain her usual and optimal percentages, Anna will take care of “replacing” her in the economy of the blue game, with a 67% efficiency which is also the result of a lot of malice, as well as known power at his disposal. With this arrangement in place, the Nazionale dominates two and a half setspaying for some physiological declines only in the 2nd partial, the one in which coach Karch Kiraly upsets his States inserting Skinner and Haleigh Washington in place of Jordan Larson and Dana Rettke. For the rest, between impressive wall-defenseexcellent quality from nine meters and many numbers also in attack, it is almost a monologue from Danesi and his teammates.
