Italy Dominates France 3-0 in Koszalin Opener

The Italian women's volleyball team, coached by Julio Velasco, achieved a decisive 3-0 victory (25-15, 25-22, 25-13) against France in their opening match. The performance was strong in both execution and substance, offering promising signs as they prepare for the European Championships.

Italy will return to the court on Wednesday, August 12th, at 5:30 PM to face Ukraine in the second day of the tournament.

For the match against France, Coach Julio Velasco fielded Orro as setter, Antropova as opposite, Nervini and Sylla as outside hitters, Danesi and Fahr as middle blockers, and Fersino as libero. France's coach, Cesar Hernández González, countered with Danard-Selosse as setter, Ndiaye as opposite, Rotar and Bah as outside hitters, Sylves and Elouga as middle blockers, and Gelin as libero.

The initial set saw an even start (4-4) with Italy's blocking immediately making an impact. Italy increased their aggression with their serves (6-4), and Nervini effectively troubled France's back row. The Italian team played with confidence, showcasing good volleyball (11-6), largely due to Orro's impeccable distribution. Sylla and Antropova consistently scored points (13-7), while Danesi and Fahr made a significant difference. Fersino's reception and defense also drew applause (16-10).

France attempted to challenge with attacks from Bah and Rotar, but the Italian national team's blocking disrupted many of their plays, and they held off the opponents' comeback. Velasco made substitutions, bringing in Cambi as setter and Egonu at opposite, which proved to be a formidable combination (22-15). In the final moments, two winning serves from Fahr and a block by Egonu allowed Italy to secure the set 25-15.

The second set began with a back-and-forth exchange between France and Italy (3-3), featuring spectacular defensive plays from Fersino. The Italian team then shifted gears, demonstrating character and awareness of their potential across all fundamentals. Their serving continued to be a decisive factor, enabling them to pull away. Antropova then delivered a stunning parallel attack, confirmed by video review (10-5).

The Italian opposite was relentless at the net (16-11), and Sylla and Nervini were unplayable in attack, also proving valuable in defense (17-12). France fought back with Elouga and Bah (17-15) and managed to tie the score on an Italian attacking error (18-18). The set went down to the wire, with Italy pushing in attack. Orro scored a skillful play to make it 24-22, and Sylla sealed the set 25-22.

In the third set, Italy's serves were particularly strong (8-2), causing reception difficulties for France, especially when Antropova delivered four consecutive winning serves. The French team fought for every ball, with Depie and later Danard-Selosse closing the gap (5-9). Italy's decisive surge (15-7) came from both their middle attackers and Egonu.

In the final stretch, the Italian national team managed their lead effectively, closing the match with a 25-13 scoreline and securing a 3-0 victory in their opening match against France.

Coach Julio Velasco's words:

"A good start against France, especially considering we had a long trip yesterday and only worked on serving and reception this morning without jumping. The team entered the court very focused and with good game rhythm. We served very effectively and also played well with our middle blockers. I liked the team's performance. It was a victory of substance because we dominated France: in the first and third sets, there was a significant difference, while in the second, they played and served better. In the end, we won 3-0, which is an important result."

Sara Fahr's words:

"We are absolutely happy. It was a nice, clear 3-0 win, apart from the second set which was a bit more balanced. Well done to us! It's right to play these tournaments to understand where we stand, what we need to improve, and to verify if what we've been working on diligently in these weeks of training is being put into practice in games. Now, our focus is on tomorrow's match against Ukraine."

Match Details:

ITALY-FRANCE 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-13)

ITALIA: Meli (ne), Cambi, Spirito (L), Fersino (L), Orro 4, Danesi 5, Nwakalor (ne), Nervini 5, Sylla 8, Egonu 7, Fahr 14, Omoruyi (ne), Giovannini 2, Antropova 13. Coach: Velasco

FRANCIA: Giardino, Ratahiry 3, Ndiaye 4, Fanguedou (ne), Sylves 2, Oling Andela (ne), Mathi, Depie 6, Elouga 4, Danard-Selosse 1, Massuel (ne), Rotar 2, Bah 11, Haewegene 1, Gelin. Coach: Hernández González

Referees: Paweł Morawski, Mateusz Bronski

Duration: 22', 31', 21'. Total: 74'

Italy: Aces 14, Errors 7, Blocks 7; France: Aces 0, Errors 7, Blocks 1