Italian
The men’s national volleyball team wins the last friendly match before departing for Osaka where it will face Week 3 of VNL
TRENTO – It’s not yet the Dream Team we’re used to, but the return of almost all the big names (except for Alessandro Michieletto, who was still present in the stands) shows a significantly better game compared to the last outings. At the BTS Arena in Trento, the men’s ItalVolley plays its last friendly match, the first seasonal outing of captain Simone Giannelli, Fabio Balaso, Yuri Romanò, and Roberto Russo.
A hard-fought match emerged, with the first set lasting a remarkable forty-five minutes and won by the blues 36-34. In the second, the Argentina did well to come back and close it 22-25. Then it was all Italy, winning 3-1 (36-34, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22).
In the evening, the team of CT De Giorgi will return to the retreat in Cavalese to continue their preparation before departing for Osaka (Japan) on July 10, where they will conclude pool 9 of week 3 of VNL, a crucial week to secure a spot in the Finals scheduled in China (Ningbo) from July 29 to August 2.
The national team will return to Cavalese this evening to continue their preparation ahead of the departure scheduled for July 10 to the Japanese city of Osaka, which will host pool 9 of week 3 of the VNL, a crossroads for qualification for the subsequent Finals, scheduled to take place in China (Ningbo) from July 29 to August 2.
The scorecard
ITALY-ARGENTINA
ITALY: Russo 5, Romanò 7, Lavia 11, Galassi 5, Giannelli 6, Bottolo 14, Balaso (L). Sbertoli, Sani, Porro 6, Bovolenta 14, Laurenzano, Sanguinetti 5, Mati 4. Coach: De Giorgi
ARGENTINA: Giraudo 3, Vicentin 14, Loser 10, Kukartsev 13, Armoa 18, Zerba 12, Massimino (L). Sanchez, Martinez 1, Gomez. Not in: Conde, Gallego, Ramos. Coach: Muracho
Referees: 1° Giglio, 2° Pernpruner
Attendance: 3057
Duration: 45’, 30’, 29’, 30’
Italy: a 1, bs 21, mv 11, et 29.
Argentina: a 2, bs 23, mv 14, et 35.
The statements
Ferdinando De Giorgi: “I am satisfied with the attitude of the boys, the spirit of cohesion, and the common will to always pursue our goals. We are continuing to work intensively, and even in these days in Cavalese, we are carrying on with our preparation for the last week of VNL where we will be engaged in Japan. We have more challenging matches ahead with the home team, who are currently unbeaten; it is obvious that we will have to fight, but this is now the norm for modern men’s volleyball.”
Simone Giannelli (video HERE): “For those like me who have just returned, there is a lot to do, to work hard, it was an important test match for us who have been out in these first two weeks of VNL. This friendly match came at the right time for us, played very close to Cavalese where we usually train. This game, regardless of the result, will give us important insights, but we know well that I and some of my teammates have a gap to close compared to the guys who have more matches under their belts. We want to do well and pursue our goals, but to achieve them we know we need to train consistently and intensely. Playing here in Trento was nice, as always in Italy after all.”
Yuri Romanò (video HERE): “ For me, it’s great to be back playing in Italy because it’s been a while since I experienced these emotions in this arena and in general with Italian fans. I’ve returned to play with these guys, and overall I can say it’s been a positive test. We’ve practically come together with the new players starting today, so it’s normal that some plays are still a bit clumsy. We have a few years behind us, so we know how to handle these situations. We’re excited to tackle the last week of VNL and can’t wait to get on the court. We know it won’t be easy because there will be very challenging matches in Japan that we need to win if we want to qualify for the finals. We will play energized and ready.”
Alessandro Bovolenta (video HERE): “It was an important match for us, we are working hard between training and VNL, we need to continue working to achieve our goals, but we must do it with consistency and calm. Now we are here in Italy and we need to focus on our daily work in the gym, then once we arrive in Japan we will have to concentrate on the matches that await us there. Our season is long and tiring; we need to work with consistency and focus, we know where we want to go, but we also know that there is always a lot to do.”
Photo Credits: Federvolley.it
