Italy reaffirmed its mastery over European rivals Slovenia by sweeping them with scores of 25-13, 25-22, 25-17 in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Nations League on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
With this victory, Italy secured their spot in the Final Round, surpassing Slovenia with an 8-3 win-loss record.
This marks the sixth consecutive win for Italy against Slovenia since the 2018 Worlds.
Opposite hitter Yuri Romanó capitalized on his opportunities for the Azzurri, scoring a game-high 16 points with 11 attacks, two blocks, and three service aces.
The 25-year-old from Monza expressed his delight with the team’s performance, saying, “It was a very good game, and now we are in the Finals. I’m very excited to be there because it was our goal.”
Italy dominated from the start, shutting down Slovenia’s attacking options in the opening set and securing a convincing 25-13 win.
Slovenia put up a better fight in the second set, with outside hitter Rok Možič making his presence felt. However, late errors hindered their progress, and Daniele Lavia’s block for the match point gave Italy a 2-0 advantage.
The third set followed a similar pattern as the second, but Italy’s strong serving made it difficult for Slovenia to execute productive passes.
Italy continued their momentum and advanced to the quarterfinals in style.
Lavia made significant contributions on both ends of the game, finishing with 13 points from seven attacks, five blocks, and a service ace. Alessandro Michieletto also added 13 markers.
Italy will aim to conclude their preliminary round with a victory in their anticipated battle against Japan on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Klemen Čebulj once again led the charge for Slovenia with 13 points, consisting of nine spikes, three blocks, and a service ace. Captain Tine Urnaut contributed 10 points solely from spikes.
Slovenia, now with a 7-4 record, will seek a bounce-back win in their final game of the opening phase against the Netherlands on Sunday at 3 p.m.
