FIVB U19 World Ranking leaders Italy claimed their second victory at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U19 World Championship and got one step closer to the tournament’s elimination rounds on Wednesday, in Szeged, Hungary.

The two-time U18 world champions are in a strong position in Pool C with two victories in as many duels, but still have three more matches to play until the conclusion of pool play, on Sunday.

The tournament is streamed live on the Volleyball World YouTube channel.

After topping continental rivals Bulgaria in four sets in their debut on Tuesday, the Italians had a smoother duel with Canada on Wednesday and left the court with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-19) victory.

Middle blocker Linda Manfredini led all scorers with 15 points scored for the Italians, followed by outside hitter and team captain Erika Esposito, who produced ten. Opposite Logan King was the main Canadian player in the encounter, leaving the court with nine points.

In the other Pool C match held in Osijek, Brazil topped Peru 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-16).

2023 FIVB Volleyball Girls' U19 World Championship: Match Schedule and Results

In Osijek, Croatia, Türkiye also got their second win in the tournament. The Europeans had defeated Nigeria by forfeit on Tuesday and responded well to their first real test at the World Championship, downing Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-16) in Pool B.

Opposite Beren Yesilirmark carried the Turkish offense against the Caribbeans, producing a match-high 15 points – team captain and outside hitter Eylul Durgun also reached double digits, with 11. Puerto Rico got 15 points from outside hitter Grace Villanueva.

“We were really excited to play today,” Yesilirmark commented. “We know each other so well, we played like a team, and that’s how we won. Today serving turned out to be the crucial element. It was a thrilling feeling being on the court today, and we are sure that with more fans coming in the next few days, it will be even better.”

Also in Pool B, Croatia defeated Nigeria by forfeit.

The other four matches held on Wednesday saw the United States defeat Japan 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 26-24) and Serbia overcome Mexico also 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-17) in Osijek in Pool D while Egypt took Chile down 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-21) and China swept hosts Hungary 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17) in Pool A in Szeged.

At 21:00 local time (19:00 UTC), two matches will begin in Osijek – Poland vs. Korea and the Dominican Republic vs. Germany. The night session will also feature two duels in Szeged, with Argentina and Cameroon playing at 21:00 local time (19:00 UTC) and Thailand and Bulgaria meeting at 21:05 local time (19:05 UTC).

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