Back in action to carry Italy's hopes at the upcoming World Championship: setter Eleonora Lo Bianco
Rome, Italy, September 13, 2014 – There are only 10 days left to the start of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship and hosts Italy and Turkey got ready for this much anticipated competition with a friendly match played on Saturday at Palatiziano in Rome. Italy put on a convincing performance and eventually won the match in straight sets 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-18).
A few weeks ago Italy failed to qualify for the Final Six of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix held while Turkey made it there and eventually finished in fourth place. Italy will start their campaign at the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Pool A playing in Rome against Argentina, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Germany and Tunisia, while Turkey will travel to Trieste to play Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cameroon and Serbia in Pool B.
The match started with the Turkish block showing its muscles, whilst the Italian game was marked by some imperfections. The score remained close for a while as the teams studied each other. After the first technical time-out, Turkey picked up the pace and went ahead 13-11 with a block by Kübra Akman and an ace. Italy with a good serving turn from Valentina Arrighetti reduced the gap and took the lead of the match at the second technical time-out. Italy coach Marco Bonitta then opted for a double substitution with Francesca Ferretti and Valentina Diouf joining the action at 19-19; with a block and three spikes by the young opposite of Senegalese descent the home team closed the set at 25-20 in their favour.
In the second set, Turkey got off to a sprint start with their excellent block-defence. The score at the first technical time-out stood at 8-5 for the guests. Italy started to make important defensive touches and tied the score at 8-8. Thanks to wing-spikers Antonella Del Core and Francesca Piccinini, Italy claimed a three-point lead and went to the second technical time-out leading 16-13. Turkey made many errors in this part of the set, especially by opposite Seda Tokatlioglu, so Italy could play with ease. The hosts closed the set at 25-22 despite a great defensive touch by Turkish wing-spiker Neriman Özsoy.
In the third set Turkey substituted middle-blocker Bahar Toksoy Guidetti with Özge Yurtdagülen and opposite Tokatlioglu with Güldeniz Önal. A long rally won by Nadia Centoni’s block forced Turkey coach Massimo Barbolini to call his second time-out at the score of 14-9 for Bonitta’s team. Turkey worked well in defence and tried to reduce the gap but Italy kept their advantage until the end of the set (25-18).
The match was a good test ahead of the upcoming World Championship for the teams as well as for the local fans who started to breathe in the World Championship’s atmosphere.
Turkey’s Italian coach Massimo Barbolini said after the game: “Today we didn’t play our best, and we did not show the quality and consistency you need when you face a team like Italy. This is a good group that did excellent work this summer during the European League and the Grand Prix, but we know that we still have to work a lot since a competition like the World Championship requires only the best performance. Our pool is a difficult one but we’ll try to play as we did this summer. To play a World Championship in Italy for me is a pleasure as it was today, having the possibility of such a high-level test.”
Bonitta commented: “We are ready for the Championship. Physically we worked a lot during these weeks in the gym and today I’ve seen the players doing fine, even if Turkey today did not play very well; I am quite sure that during the World Championship we’ll see a totally different team. Today what I’ve appreciated the most is our attack play which kept on improving throughout the match. For our team, Valentina Diouf is a very important player, and there will be chances to see her in the starting six at the upcoming World Championship.”