World champions Italy achieved their fourth victory since the start of this year's Volleyball Nations League and at the same time inflicted the first defeat on Olympic vice-champions Poland. In a true derby and after an impressive comeback, the "Azzurri" prevailed 3:2 (25:17, 23:25, 21:25, 25:20, 15:11) in their first match of the tournament in Group 5 of the second week of the main phase, played this evening in front of over 2200 spectators at the 'Now Arena' in Chicago (USA).
After this match, both teams have 4 wins and 1 loss, but Poland remains leader with 13 points, while Italy is in third place with 10. The next matches for both teams are on Saturday, June 28 – at 00:00 Italy will face China, and at 03:30 Poland will meet Canada.
Match statistics:
Attacks: Italy 63 – 63 Poland
Blocks: Italy 17 – 10 Poland
Serve (initial hit): Italy 9 – 4 Poland
Points from opponent's errors: Italy 20 – 21 Poland
Total points: Italy 109 – 98 Poland
Game elements:
Digs in defense: Italy 79 – 83 Poland
Reception: Italy 87 – 95 Poland
Set distribution: Italy 142 – 145 Poland
Top scorers:
Poland: Artur Szalpuk – 20 points (12 in attack), Kamil Semeniuk – 18 points (16 in attack)
Italy: Alessandro Michieletto – 18 points (5 aces), Agustin Galassi – 15 points (14 blocks)
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The match between Italy and Poland in Chicago was a true volleyball classic, marked by comebacks, intense rallies, and a high level of play from both sides. However, the statistics reveal several key factors that tipped the scales in favor of the world champions.
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Italy dominated the net play. "Squadra Azzurra" scored17 points from blocks, almost double that of Poland (10). Middle blocker Agustin Galassi was instrumental here – he alone recorded 14 points from this element. This advantage allowed the Italians to neutralize many of Szalpuk and Semeniuk's attacks.
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The serve also proved crucial –9 aces for Italy versus 4 for Poland. Alessandro Michieletto impressed with 5 direct points from serves, which were key in the fourth and fifth sets. The Italians' more aggressive serve put pressure on the Polish reception and created more chances for blocks or counterattacks.
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The two teams finished with63 points from attack each, which speaks of a balanced offense. The difference, however, lies in distribution and efficiency. Poland relied mainly on Szalpuk and Semeniuk, while Italy distributed the balls more diversely, with more involvement from the middle and back row.
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Poland showed more stable defense –83 saved balls versus 79 for Italy, as well as better reception (95 versus 87). This gave them an advantage in the middle part of the match when they won the second and third sets. Nevertheless, in key moments, the Italians were more concentrated.
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Although by a small margin, Poland made one more error (21 vs. 20), but in evenly matched games, every point can be critical. Italy managed to capitalize on Poland's inaccuracies better and showed composure in the fifth set.
📌 Conclusion:
Italy won thanks to stronger net play, effective serving, and a wider distribution in attack.Poland had an advantage in defense and reception but could not withstand the aggressive second wave of the Italians at the end of the match. The rise of Michieletto and the stable performance of Galassi were the difference in this battle between two titans of world volleyball.
Photo:volleyballworld.com
