The world no. 3 Azzurri of Italy bucked a third-set stumble to derail Brazil in Pool B of men's indoor volleyball in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Reigning world champion Italy is off to a winning start in Paris 2024 after an impressive 25-23, 27-25,18-25 and 25-21 win over no. 7 Brazil in the South Paris Arena 1 on Saturday evening,(PH time) July 27.
The world no. 3 Italians began their quest for a maiden Olympic gold with a repeat win over the Brazilians, whom they beat in the opening week of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) last May.
Italy regrouped after dropping the third set and took pretty much all of the fourth set control before fending off several Brazilian comeback attempts late.
Back-to-back costly Brazilian errors proved costly as the Italian took the early solo lead in Pool B.
Earlier, both teams engaged in an entertaining finish in the second set as Brazil saved three set points beginning from 21-24 thanks to Ricardo Lucarelli’s timely hits.
The Brazilians even took the lead, 25-24, after capitalizing on a Yuri Romanò attacking mishap.
But Italy would not be denied courtesy of star spiker Alessandro Michieletto, who scored his squad’s last two points off a decisive block and set-clinching backrow attack for a commanding 2-0 set lead.
Romanò, the 2022 Italian League MVP, spearheaded the offense with 20 points built on 17 attacks, one block and two aces while Michieletto added 13 markers and Daniele Lavia chipped in 12.
On the other hand, three Brazilian players racked up twin-digit outing led by Darlan Souza, who piled up a team-high 25 for the three-team Olympic gold medalists with a team-high points
Yoandy Leal had 15 points while Ricardo Lucarelli added 14.
Italy will next face Egypt on Tuesday, July 30 while Brazil is up for a huge test against world no.1 Poland on July 31, Wednesday.
Story Summary:
- Reigning world champion Italy started strong in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, securing a 25-23, 27-25, 18-25, 25-21 victory over Brazil, maintaining control despite a third-set loss and several Brazilian comeback attempts.
- Key performances from Alessandro Michieletto and Yuri Romanò helped Italy take an early solo lead in Pool B, with Michieletto's crucial points securing the second set and Romanò leading the offense with 20 points.
- Brazil's efforts, led by Darlan Souza with 25 points, fell short as back-to-back errors proved costly; Italy now prepares to face Egypt on July 30, while Brazil faces a challenging match against world no. 1 Poland on July 31.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]