Durrës, Albania, September 5, 2018. Italy, who finished on fifth position in the previous edition of the #EuroVolleyU19W held in Slovakia and Hungary in 2016, will be among the four best teams of the 2018 CEV U19 Volleyball European Championship – Women. On Wednesday, the team coached by Massimo Bellano outclassed the Netherlands at 3-0 and after having seized victories in the previous days vs. Belarus (3-1), Poland (3-0) and Bulgaria (3-1), the Azzurrine top the charts with four victories in as many matches this far. Earlier on that day, Belarus and Poland locked horns in a battle for three very important points. The Polish players resulted to be more concentrated and seized a 3-0 victory over their opponents in a match that lasted 86 minutes. In the second match of the day, Bulgaria were able to grab their first three points from the competition, after winning over the hosts from Albania in straight sets.
Belarus vs. Poland 0-3 (22-25, 15-25, 19-25)
• The game in the first minutes was close, but then the Polish players pulled ahead for 13-10 in their favour. Belarus tried to resist, but Poland opened the match with a 25-22 win.
• Although Belarus took the initiative in the first minutes of the second set (8-6), Poland were able to come back, taking control of the action to eventually make a ten-point difference for closing the set at 25-15.
• Poland kept on performing better, controlling the game and won the set and the match at 25-19 and 3-0 respectively, collecting this way three important points for the final standing in the Pool.
Waldemar Kawka, head coach of Poland: “We won 3-0, but it was not as easy as it seems. We had never beaten Belarus before and we had prepared carefully for this game. I am happy, but let's not celebrate too early for the second place in the pool as we have one more game to go.”
Natallia Melianiuk, head coach of Belarus: “My girls seemed nervous and a little bit tired. Poland, on the other hand, played very well and deserved to win. Finishing on the second position and going to the semis will be difficult now, but we will try our best.”
Albania vs. Bulgaria 0-3 (19-25, 18-25, 21-25)
• Bulgaria started better in the first set, leading 8-3. However, the hosts from Albania made it difficult for the players of Asen Metodiev, equalizing at 18-18. Albania then made several unforced errors which led to Bulgaria emerging victorious from the opening set at 25-19.
• Metodiev's team kept the leadership in the second set as well and despite Albania’s late efforts to change the situation, the Lionesses took also the second set at 25-18.
• The start of the third set was more balanced, with Albania following Bulgaria in the score. This helped the hosts feel more confident and they even took the lead at 15-12. However, Bulgaria found a proper response and came back for an eventual 25-21 win to celebrate a 3-0 victory, their first success in the tournament this far.
Roland Tarja, head coach of Albania: “It was a good match for us and it's a pity we did not win a set. We made too many mistakes and at this level, you pay the price for that. But, overall, I am satisfied with my team, regardless of the defeat.”
Asen Metodiev, head coach of Bulgaria: “I am happy that we achieved our first win in this tournament. My players did their job well and I had a chance to give to all of them time on the court. We are still hoping that we could stay in the tournament for the fifth to eighth place battle.”
The Netherlands vs. Italy 0-3 (21-25, 19-25, 25-27)
• The Netherlands were breathing down Italy’s necks for almost the entire opening set, and despite a Dutch lead at 18-16, the Italians took the set at 25-21.
• The Dutch team started off better in the second set, searching for an improvement of their performance and leading at 6-2. However, the Azzurrine got back on track and maintaining a good level through to the end, they ultimately won the set.
• There was a real Volleyball battle in the third set, with both teams constantly changing the lead. Although the Dutch seemed to be very close to coming back into this matchup, the Italian team succeeded in showing they were the better side, closing the set and the match at 27-25.
Massimo Bellano, head coach of Italy: “Mission accomplished. But I am not very happy though. We did nice things on the court, but we also committed some terrible mistakes. However, we achieved our goal – we are going to Tirana. Next aim is to do right also in the final days of the competition.”
Julien Van de Vyver, head coach of the Netherlands: “This was a tough match and I think we played our best game in the tournament. But Italy is a very good opponent and I am happy with the way my players fought – they left their hearts on the court. We will fight hard to continue playing in the tournament.”
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