Romanò propels Italy to huge comeback against Germany

An outstanding performance from world champion opposite Yuri Romanò helped Italy produce a huge comeback against Germany on Thursday and secure their second victory in the Volleyball Nations League 2025.

The European rivals met at the Centre Vidéotron, in Quebec, Canada, on the second day of matches of the tournament, and, after dropping the first two sets, the reigning world champions showed strength to complete a reverse sweep and take the win. In another five-setter, Argentina overcame Canada to secure their second victory and continue undefeated too.

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Head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi made some changes in the Italian starting lineup after their opening-match victory against Bulgaria, and the team struggled against a young German team in the first two sets. After they settled, the world champions took control of the match and won 3-2 (21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-11).

One of five world champions who made the trip to Canada, Romanò had a key role in the Italian comeback, standing out with a match-high 24 points (20 kills, two blocks, two aces). The left-handed opposite got great help from 21-year-old outside hitter Luca Porro, who produced 17 points, with 14 kills and three blocks.

“It was a difficult match for us,” star setter and captain Simone Giannelli, who started on the bench, said. “I don’t think we started the match playing badly, but Germany are a strong team and they were playing very well. I think we were a little bit better at the end and got the win. I’m happy and proud of my team for coming back.”

On the German side, opposite Filip John was the most productive player, with 20 points (15 kills, four aces, one block). Middle blocker Lukas Maase got 15, all in kills, while outside hitter Theo Mohwinkel and middle blocker Simon Torwie got 12 each.

Despite having pushed the world champions to five sets, the Germans left the court frustrated after dropping a match in the tie-breaker after having the lead for a second straight day, repeating what had happened on Wednesday against Canada.

“It’s a tough loss for us because in both matches, we were very close to taking the win in the fourth set, but couldn’t finish it,” John said. “There were some good things today, but it’s really disappointing to lose two five-setters in a row. I think we could be doing some little things better. We just need to find a way to stay in the game in the fifth set and take our chances.”

With the result, the Italians collect two points and get to five in the VNL standings, while the Germans take one and increase their total to two.

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

The Italians will play their third Pool 1 match in Quebec on Friday, at 20:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Saturday), when they face reigning Olympic champions France. The other match of the day, scheduled for 16:30 (20:30 GMT), will have Argentina and Bulgaria.

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Argentina beat Canada in the tie-breaker

The second match of the day in Quebec also went to five sets and had Argentina overcoming the pressure of the home crowd to take Canada down 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-8) and secure their second victory in the VNL, getting to five points - they had topped world champions France 3-1 on Wednesday.

The South Americans had three players delivering strong offensive performances and playing major roles in their victory as outside hitter Luciano Palonsky led the team with 25 points (21 kills, three aces, one block), while opposite Germán Gómez and outside hitter Ignacio Luengas added 19 each.

Opposite Xander Ketrzynski scored 22 (19 kills, two aces, one block) for Canada, with outside hitters Brodie Hofer and Jackson Young contributing 17 and 15 points, respectively.

VNL 2025 – Match Schedule & Results

The Italians will play their third Pool 1 match in Quebec on Friday, at 20:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Saturday), when they face reigning Olympic champions France. The other match of the day, scheduled for 16:30 (20:30 GMT), will have Argentina and Bulgaria.

Quick links:
Volleyball Nations League
VBTV
Volleyball World Facebook
Volleyball World X
Volleyball World Instagram
Volleyball World YouTube
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