An hour and 22 minutes to liquidate China 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-20): Italy is a candidate as a strong team in the women’s volleyball World Cup. A match that is worth the victory of the group, and projects the blue to the first place of the draw of the quarter-finals scheduled for Tuesday in Apeldoorn (Holland). Hero Paola Egonu with 27 points, in a team that has so far reached its highest level of play. For De Gennaro & C. was also a revenge against China that at the Tokyo Olympics, now destined for elimination, beat Italy, complicating the group until the fatal match with Serbia in the quarterfinals. This time the Asians, bronze at the last World Cup in 2018, have never really been in the game, after having beaten the Netherlands and Japan, nothing could against a team in which almost everything worked. For Mazzanti’s team it is the ninth win out of 10 in the World Cup, with the sole exception of tie-break lost to Brazil.
Anna Danesi and Italy of volleyball: “I want the final, but microbiology is the highest wall”
by Mattia Chiusano
05 October 2022
Mazzanti: “Find the right sensations”
“I’m happy because we needed to feel the right sensations” analyzes coach Davide Mazzanti. “These sensations make the difference to play the volleyball we like: so far we had not yet fully felt them in this World Cup. These are the things we need to face the quarter-finals. With China we went on the rise, in the first. set we were more conservative and absurdly we become more foul. Then we started to do better and better, aggressive serving, with blocking and defense that worked much better. Now in the quarters we could meet China again, it’s a strange formula, but it will be above all It is important to go out on the pitch with the sensations that have accompanied us in these months “.
Lubian’s winning entry
Mazzanti arrives at the game with a problem, abdominal pain Chirichella who advise caution in view of the quarter-finals. On the field they go Orro, Sylla, Bosetti, Danesi, Egonuthe free De Gennarobut the substitute for Chirichella, Marina Lubianusually called to enter cold to force the serve, it is really in the day, and becomes decisive in the phase in which Italy detaches China, shortly after an alarmed time-out called by Mazzanti on 17-19, and previous difficult situations like a 4-point break from rivals. A series of five plays of the Piedmontese sowing havoc, with an ace and other high-speed balls that create the conditions to find the point (among others, a diagonal of Sylla). For Lubian 5 points at the end of the set, Italy’s second best scorer. Because the number one is a Paola Egonu even more consistent than the previous releases, 10 points also include a block, a constant and relentless performance that includes a variety of plays such as the deep dunk of 23-21, symbolic of the point of 26-24 with which a set ends in which Sylla scores 3 times, De Gennaro recovers everything and Orro generates 9 points with his lifts.
A second set full of ace
If Italy had to find its size in the first set, in the second it is a candidate as the favorite of the World Cup. A superb performance, in which everyone is looking for everyone, there is quality and mutual assistance, an often impressive Egonu does not stand alone as before, but finds worthy partners in Anna Danesi, the Lady of the Blue Wall, who proposes herself with 4 attacks plus 2 winning blocks, Caterina Bosetti who places two aces (in some games Italy struggled to find one). Alessia Orro misses only one dribble out of 10, and since she is there she also touches two point-balls in attack. Lubian confirms his solidity with another 4 points. Of course, Paola Egonu: at a certain point she unleashes a double ace, takes off from the second line for 23-15, her bare and raw figure of 7 points is limiting compared to the impression of power she gives when she is “on fire “.
Bosetti of steel, Orro and De Gennaro shine
In the third set a game (almost) without history is completed which in the end will issue a balance of 53 winning attacks by Italy against 35 by China, 7 aces to 3. Almost astonishing the 18 errors (to 10) of Italy in such a smooth match against an opponent of rank. Egonu, for example, makes some inaccuracies (3 in the third), which however takes a back seat in front of precision balls, from the second line, lobs, diagonals deflected from the wall or just not touched as on 24-19. Sylla will be wrong once in reception, but in his memory there are more those balls that cross the wall, the attacks, the parallels that will make up a budget of 7 total points. Like Caterina Bosetti she completes a steel performance with 5 successful receptions in the third set and a total of 8 points (with 3 aces). For Danesi 30% of block interventions means a point, and it is a recognition that the last point of the 3-0 (in attack) is hers. The balls smoothed by Orro bring 22 points, De Gennaro’s recoveries are a 77% success. A united team, and of infinite talent that finally manifests itself.
