The Italian women's national team achieved an important victory in the Volleyball Nations League. In their last match of the tournament in Pasig City (Philippines), Julio Velasco's players decisively defeated Japan 3:0 (25:20, 25:23, 25:18).
After the defeat to the USA, the Italians showed a completely different face and deservedly achieved their sixth success since the start of the tournament. With the victory, the world champions rose to a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, accumulating 18 points, which places them third in the provisional VNL standings.
Italy controlled the development of the match at key moments, especially in the second set, when they did not allow the Japanese to complete an impressive comeback from a five-point deficit. In the third part, "Squadra Azzurra" quickly built up a lead and closed out the match without problems.
The most effective player for the winners was Ekaterina Antropova with 17 points, while Stella Nervini added 10. Antropova returned to her usual position as opposite hitter, after Velasco had retrained her as an outside hitter since the start of the tournament. For Japan, captain Mayu Ishikawa scored 12 points, while Yamada finished with 11.
Match statistics
| Category | Japan | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 46 | 43 |
| Block | 1 | 6 |
| Ace | 2 | 8 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 13 | 18 |
| Total points | 62 | 75 |
Japan finished with more direct attack points, but Italy made a huge difference in serve and block. The eight aces and six block points brought a significant advantage to the Italians and were the main factor for the success in three sets.
| Category | Japan | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 77 | 61 |
| Reception | 71 | 55 |
| Organized attacks | 111 | 89 |
The Japanese women once again demonstrated their traditionally strong play in defense and reception but failed to convert this advantage into enough points. Italy was significantly more effective in the finishing phase of the attack and punished every opportunity they received.
VNL Provisional Standings
| Rank | Team | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | USA | 7 | 1 | 20 |
| 2. | Brazil | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| 3. | Italy | 6 | 2 | 18 |
| 4. | Poland | 6 | 2 | 17 |
| 5. | Japan | 6 | 2 | 16 |
Italy returned to the top three in the standings and is in an excellent position to qualify for the Final Tournament. The differences at the top remain minimal, with only two points separating leaders USA from fifth-placed Japan.
The success also brought Italy 3.9 points for the FIVB world ranking, while Japan lost the same asset and remained with 338.09 points in seventh place in the world.
photos:volleyballworld.com
