There was no game. Italy lose to Russia in the U18 World Cup final and still wear a prestigious silver medal, second in a row after the one won in 2019. Then the Italians dragged the United States to the fifth set before surrendering, they hoisted the white flag after only 75 minutes of one-sided match (25-16, 25-17, 25-21) with only one variation on the theme, at the start of the third set.

Organization of the game, effective batting, blocking and defense and many solutions in attack: these are the characteristics of a Russia which, in the light of the facts, has proved to be stronger clearly from the bruises that suffered psychologically from the opponents from the start of the match. Russian coach Alexander Karikov prepared for the match perfectly, instructing her players on how to stop danger number one, blue Julia Ituma who struggled to find the right choices, seeking too much power in attack: solution which did not pay and which favored the blocking and the defense of the adversary but the very strong Italian striker will have time to grow technically. Excellent proof in the direction of Russian Kobzar, while on the other side Passaro had to deal with imprecise Italian reception and entered in great difficulty, also having to leave the field in the final.

The beginning is a monologue by The Russian team which, with a few laps of service, sends the Italian reception in free fall and even finds itself in front of 5-17. Italy try to shake up and only succeed in the final, recovering to 16-24 before get to Zamanskaia attack for 16-25.

At the start of the second set, some incredible defenses from Russia left the Italian team in utter confusion. who, once again, suffers a very heavy rupture and finds himself under 2-12 years old. Trying to play with this handicap is almost impossible. The blues try, they try to find the change of ball and in part they succeed, managing to approach the strong rivals until 13-19 but in the final Russia no longer makes mistakes and 17-25 won with the winning attack from Kapralova, another player to watch.

In the third set, Italy has the illusion of being able to reopen the match. Ituma at bat sent the struggling opponent’s reception for the first (and only time) and made a seemingly important furrow leading the Blues on 11-5. It’s a flash in the pan as Italy starts to stutter again on the change of ball in the central part of the set e he is approached by his rivals (17-15), until he literally stops at 19-16. Popova, the best Russian striker, takes the chair, leading her to the decisive turnaround: 19-22. Italy hoists the white flag and Russia finishes the job with the break of 1-9 which gives 20-25 which means world title 28 years after the first and only success conquered of Russians so far in then-Czechoslovakia in 1993 in the final against Japan (note also a triumph of the USSR in 1989). For Italy (who played the fourth final in a row), however, it is for the second consecutive silver medal, the third in the history of the event.

For Russia, it seems the dawn of a new golden generation: this group had indeed also won the European category. The 12 points each scored by loopholes Natalia Surova and Varvara Sergeeva were decisive today. Italy was not enough 13 brands of star Julia Ituma, whose power has long been defused today by the opposite wall.

fivb photo