In a surprising start to the Paris 2024 Olympic volleyball tournament, Germany defeated Japan in an exciting five-set match.
The Europeans emerged victorious with scores of 25:17, 23:25, 20:25, 30:28, and 15:12 in Pool C at the South Paris Arena 1.
György Grozer led the charge for the winners scoring 24 points, while Anton Brehme and Moritz Karlitzek added 15 and 11 points, respectively.
To make the difference was above all Germany’s performance in blocking, with as many as 18 points from this element to Japan’s only 8, played a crucial role in the win.
Japan’s top scorers are Yuki Ishikawa with 22 points and Yuji Nishida, with 20.
Interestingly, this victory marked the end of a decade-long winning streak for Japan against Germany. Germany, ranked 11th, moved up one spot in the world rankings with the win. They will next face the United States, while Japan will compete against Argentina in the last game of the day.
World champions Italy triumphed over Brazil with a 3-1 (25:23, 27:25, 18:25, 25:21) victory, starting strong in Pool B, led by Yuri Romanò, who closed the game including with 21 points to his name two aces, and one block, who helped the Europeans seize crucial moments to secure all three points.
Italy, led by coach De Giorgi, showcased a very good game, conceding only the third set to their opponents.
De Giorgi’s starting lineup included Giannelli as setter, Romanò as opposite, Michieletto and Lavia as outside hitters, Galassi and Russo in the middle, and Balaso as libero, while Brazil’s head coach Bernardinho, fielded Bruno on setter position and Darlan as opposite, Leal and Lucarelli as outside hitters, Lucas and Flavio in the middle, and Thales as libero.
In the first set, after a nervous start, Italy managed to stay focused, breaking Brazil’s initial momentum, eventually winning 25-23. The second set saw Italy take an early lead 5-1 before Brazil leveled at 7-7. A tight contest followed, with Italy keeping a slight advantage and securing the set 27-25 after a dramatic finish.
Brazil finally start to play strong and dominated the third set, leading 16-10 and 23-16, ultimately winning 25-18. However, in the fourth set, Italy regained control, with a 25-21 that closed the match.
In addition to Romanó, outside hitters Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia also made a notable contributions, scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively while, in his Olympic debut, Brazilian opposite Darlan de Souza made a strong start, topping the match score with 25 points to his name including 23 kills, one block and one ace.
Outside hitters Yoandy Leal and Ricardo Lucarelli also played important roles, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively, but they were not enough.
All easy for Poland, who secured a clean 3-0 (25:21, 25:19, 25:13) victory against underdogs Egypt in their opening match of the Paris Olympics.
Under the guidance of head coach Nikola Grbić, confirmed by Polish Federation at least until next Olympic Games, Poland confidently defeated the lower-ranked rivals, even though Tomasz Fornal sustained an injury during the third set.
Top scorers included Wilfredo Leon and Mateusz Bieniek, who scored 13 and 12 points respectively, while Mohamed Masoud Dola led Egypt with 14 points.
Poland showed superior attacking skills, strong blocking (8-5), and dominated in serves (8-1).
In the evening, after a poor performance in Volleyball Nations League, USA easily defeated Tokyo Bronze Medalists Argentina with the score of 3-0 (25:20, 25:19, 25:16) in Pool C.
With a crowd of over 10,000 fans, the winners delivered a dominant performance, led by outside hitters Aaron Russell and TJ Defalco who left the court with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
The Americans excelled in serving, outscoring Argentina 8-0, and also dominated in blocks and and attack.
Argentina’s most prolific players included middle blocker Agustin Loser with only eight points, and opposite Bruno Lima and outside hitter Facundo Conte, each scoring seven points. Next, the U.S. will face Germany on Tuesday, while Argentina will play against Japan on Wednesday.
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🏐| Volleyball Olympic Games – Paris 2024 | Saturday, July 27, 2024
Pool C – 9.00 (Local Time) | Japan – Germany 2-3 (17:25, 25:23, 25:20, 28:30, 12:15)
Pool B – 13.00 (Local Time) | Italy – Brazil 3-1 (25:23, 27:25, 18:25, 25:21)
Pool B – 17.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Egypt 3-0 (25:19, 25:19, 25:13)
POOL B STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Poland 3
2. Italy 3
3. Brazil 0
4. Egypt 0
Pool C – 21.00 (Local Time) | USA – Argentina 3-0 (25:20, 25:19, 25:16)
POOL C STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. USA 3
2. Germany 2
3. Japan 1
4. Argentina 0
🏐| NEXT GAMES | Sunday, July 28, 2024
Pool A – 17.00 (Local Time) | France – Serbia
Pool A – 21.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Canada
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