Cuban with a Turkish passport Melissa Vargas played the match of her life, scoring 33 points in the final match against Italy at the Women's World Championship in Thailand. However, this was not enough for the World Cup to remain in the Balkans. Olympic champions Italy triumphed with the trophy after a dramatic 3:2 victory in a match full of twists and tension, but ended with success for Julio Velasco and his team. The last point came after another block in the tie-break, this time from the hands of Miriam Sylla, who finished second in scoring for the winners.

The gold remained within the female part of Daniele Santarelli's family, and Monica De Gennaro played her last match with the "Squadra Azzurra" team.

The Turkish team was close to success, but Velasco's brilliant decisions – the constant rotations between opposites Paola Egonu and Ekaterina Antropova – brought the desired result. This happened despite the fatigue from the Italians' series of 35 consecutive wins, who can now boast 36 consecutive successes and remain undefeated.

The Turkish team convincingly won the second and fourth sets, but missed the crucial third, and in the tie-break, Italy demonstrated their class and experience.

Turkey was superior in attack (68 against 59), but the Italians compensated with a strong block (14 against 10). It was the block that weighed heavily in the tie-break, in which the Italians twice caught the main point-scorer of the 'Sultans of the Net', Melissa Vargas. The balance of unforced errors was even, which highlighted Velasco's tactical flexibility.

The two teams showed almost equal performance in defense and reception. Italy was more precise in organizing the game in the decisive moments.

Top scorers:

Vargas played an impressive individual match, but Egonu and Sylla were better supported by their teammates. Italy's collective strength was crucial.

Photos:volleyballworld.com and X