The other match of the day in Pool F had Belgium sweeping continental rivals Ukraine 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22) in the teams' debut. With that, Italians and Belgians share the top of the standings, with three points each. The two best teams in the pool will make it to the Round of 16.
Italy's outside hitters carried the team's offense in their debut, with Alessandro Michieletto producing a match-high 15 points (nine kills, four aces, two blocks) and Mattia Bottolo following with 13 (11 kills, two aces). Opposite Yuri Romanò also got to double digits, registering 11 points with ten kills and one ace.
"Every team at the World Championship is very good," Michieletto said. "We've been watching some really beautiful matches, and the level is very high. Our pool is very strong, and our path to the final should be very difficult, but we have a strong team and will do our best. We need to keep our focus because a few plays can change any match here."
