In a one-sided first set, Italy dominated with their spikes and their serves to open up a wide gap and close it off at 25-15. The second set was quite similar. With outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto on fire, Italy did not leave any doubts over their superiority on the court and once again took a solid lead on the way to a 25-16 win. Inspired by noisy support from the stands, Egypt tried to fight back and stay more competitive in the third set, but to no avail. Eventually, they were able to get back to within two at 22-20, but the European side reacted with three points in a row, crowned by Michieletto’s swing for the 25-20 winner.
Italy’s opposite Yuri Romano was one of the game’s best scorers, contributing 14 points, including one ace, towards his team’s success.
“We are happy. We played well from the beginning though the end. We have six points, so it’s a good start,” Romano said in the mixed zone after the match. “Our next game against Poland will be very tough. We know them very well. When we play against them, they are always good matches. We are teams at the same level, so those who play better will win.”
