Michieletto makes good impression in Olympic debut

Lanky outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto made a solid Olympic debut in Italy’s defeat of Canada in a five-set opening match in men’s volleyball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena on Saturday.

The Italians rallied from two sets down to win 3-2 (26-28, 18-25, 25-21, 26-18, 15-11), with Michieletto leading the charge in offence with 24 points built from 18 attacks, three blocks and three aces.

“We didn’t serve well in the first two sets, but eventually we were able to fix that and it became easier for us to play in the succeeding sets,” Michieletto remarked.

“All matches will be tough at the Olympic Games, but I can assure that we are ready to fight.”

The 19-year-old lefty is loving his first Olympic Games and pointed out that his VNL experience helped him a lot make his big quadrennial debut.

“Playing at the VNL helped me with my very first Olympic match performance because it helped me familiarise with our opponents, since we played against Canada there,” he said.

“Canada are a strong team and playing against this kind of team will help me with my growth as an athlete. Being in the Olympics is such a beautiful experience. It’s an honour to be playing with these guys whom I consider as my family. It feels really good to be here.

“I am happy to be in this well-organised Olympic Games in Tokyo and I love playing in this beautiful venue.”

Quick links:
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Volleyball - Match schedule
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